A Thousand Years
by Mourning Ophelia
Summary: (IYxK Non-AU) A story of epic love, tragic loss, and the will to live... (part 7 is finally up)
1. Prologue: The Beginning is the End

Disclaimer Janx:  I don't own Inuyasha or any of its characters.  Oh yeah, like I'm creative enough to come up with a half dog demon, a girl who can travel through a well, and a lecherous monk.  :p  Go Rumiko Takahashi!

Quick Note:  This is my first try with an Inuyasha fanfiction.  Mind you, I'm trying really hard, so I'd appreciate any feedback or comments.  This particular story really doesn't take place in the current plot line of the series, but it's the basic gist… if you know what I mean. :x

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**A Thousand Years**

(Prologue)

By Mourning Ophelia

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"3… 2… 1…" 

"It's about time, wench!"  

Kagome sighed as Inuyasha leapt to the bottom of the well to help her out.  Out of habit he reached for her over-stuffed pack, but was met with thin air.  Dismissing this as a matter of little consequence, Inuyasha moved to gather her in his arms.  As soon as his fingers brushed against her shoulder, Kagome reeled back as if she had been burned.  A flash of the terrors she faced last night ran before her eyes, forcing her back up against the wall of the Bone Eater's Well.  Normally she wouldn't have minded the help, but as of late, she'd been a little edgy…

"What the hell is wrong with you?"  Inuyasha demanded angrily, unsure if he was upset because he was confused, or because she had pulled away in disgust.  "We have to get out of the Well one of this days, you stupid girl!"

Taking a deep breath, Kagome reached up to pull herself out from the deep, only to be stopped by a clawed hand.  "Don't!"  She cried, wrenching away from his grasp again, "I can do it myself!  Just go on ahead."  

Was it her imagination, or did a wounded look cross the hanyou's features-- if only for a moment?  Kagome could literally feel his gaze burn into her back, and she slid over the side of the well, landing easily in her blue jeans and tennis shoes.  The hooded sweater she had chosen was light, and well suited to the cool air.  She closed her eyes then, taking deep breathes, and trying desperately not to run back into the well and return to her own time.  Her thoughts were halted by the familiar aura of Inuyasha, finally shaking himself from his stupor, and joining her.  Coming to a stop next to her side, he was quick to notice her avoidant gaze.

They stood in silence for a moment, Kagome forcing herself to breathe, and Inuyasha glancing her over.  She wasn't dressed in her normal garb, but that wasn't anything he wasn't used to.  What caught his attention, however, were the braid her normally loose hair was pulled into, and the pale complexion on her face.  When she had finally built up the courage to turn and look at him, the dark circles beneath her eyes gave her tiredness away, and her sullen cheeks sent warning bells ringing through his head.  When was the last time she had eaten or slept?  Questions began streaming through his mind as she began her walk to the village. 

"Feh.  I know when I'm not wanted." He snapped, jumping into the nearby trees and following her from above. 

_But I have no idea why…_

=======

By the time they had made it back to the village, the sun had begun its slow descent into the western horizon.  Kagome winced inwardly, knowing that her day had been wasted by waiting until the very last moment before jumping through the well.  She had promised to be gone no more than a week… but it had been nearly a month since she had last step foot in Feudal Japan.  Something clenched at her heart and squeezed it painfully.

Guilt.  

Inuyasha was by her side again before she realized she had stopped walking.  Having him so close to her, nearly brought tears to her eyes.  Kagome desperately fought to hide the dread in her eyes and kept her head held high.  She would not let him know what his presence was doing to her, she would not let him see-

"I can smell the fear in you, you know.  Why in the hell are you trying to hide it?" He demanded gruffly, forcing her to look at him by grabbing her face roughly in his hand.

Then he saw it.  Her normally clear ash blue eyes were filled with something he never thought he'd live to see… 

Terror.  

There was absolute terror in her gaze at him.

Panic seized her mind, and her instincts took over.  Pushing him away with all of her strength she screamed, "_Don't touch me!"_   Inuyasha, quickly regrouping from her shove, grabbed her arm as she turned to flee back in the direction of the well.

"Listen wench-!" He began, tightening his grip when she began to frantically pull herself away.  Tears began to brim in her eyes, but he was careful to make sure he wasn't hurting her.  For once in a very, very long time, he was unsure of how to go about the situation.

"SIT!" She cried, as if just remembering the power she held over him.

He was forcefully slammed face down into the ground, letting go of her arm to avoid bringing her down with him.  He heard her feet began to move, and used all of his strength to lift his head and roar, "KAGOME!"  

Surprisingly enough, she stopped, but did not turn around.  His eyebrows furrowed together, "What in the _seven hells is wrong with you_?!"  Kagome's back went rigid instantly, and Inuyasha could practically feel every last muscles in her body tense.  All around them, villagers had begun to poke their heads out of their doors.  They were used to the bickering between the two, but just not an argument of this magnitude.  Sango and Miroku appeared then, stepping out of Kaede's hut with Shippou on their heels.  The young kitsune made as if he would spring at the newly arrived priestess, but found himself in someone's arms.  Trying to wiggle free of the iron grip, he glanced up into Miroku's face and snapped, "Lemme go! I wanna see Kagome!"

"Wait Shippou-chan.  There's something wrong…"  Sango glanced to the monk at her left, who nodded in silent agreement.  Carefully making their way over to where Inuyasha was pressed into the ground, they stopped about fifty feet short of his position.  

It was Kagome who spoke next, turning around slowly with wide eyes and a hand clutching at her heart, "Inu-Inuyasha?"  She muttered, feeling as though a fog was being lifted from her mind.  Suddenly, she was alarmed again, unsure of what had happened, and why Inuyasha was staring at her in such a staggered way.  

Then, she remembered.

_"Don't touch me!"_

 What had been wrong with her?  What was going on?  

Inuyasha crouched on his legs, studying her carefully; unsure of what to make of her utterly lost face.  Tears began to fall slowly down her cheek as she whispered, "I'm… I'm so sorry… I just- I couldn't... and then-!"  Inuyasha stood and walked over to her, supporting her shaking form by the shoulders, catching her before she fell.  Her whole body was shaking now, guilt racking her bones, and fear gripping her again.  The world began spinning rapidly, and she knew it was happening again.  She'd be lost again, and nothing would be ok.  

_No!  Please!  Not again!  _She mentally pleaded, but the voice she had grown so accustom to, was not there to respond.

"_Kagome_!"  Inuyasha began shaking her, hoping to snap her out of her trance.  Behind him, Sango and Miroku, still holding the petrified kitsune, rushed to his aid.  But as her eyes began to slide closed, her ears turned deaf to their frantic cries.  She was pretty sure she saw Kaede appear, but there was no telling what was a hallucination when she was in this state.  Even the wise priestess wouldn't have been able to help her escape; Kagome was trapped and she knew it.  Again, she was stuck in the dream weaver's web, and she had a feeling that this time it would not be so easy to break from its grip.  A new sound thundered in her ears, arousing the numb she had grown accustomed to in the past weeks.

**_Have you come to play with me again, little one?_**

****

****

=======

They had been swift to bring her into Kaede's hut, propping her head up by the fire.  

"She's still so cold!"  Sango exclaimed, moving to retrieve more blankets from the corner of the room.

"Inuyasha!" The old priestess shook him from his thoughts, "What has happened?"

"How should I know, Baba?  She wouldn't even let me help her out of the well!"  _And she was… so scared of me.  Like I was the predator, and she was the prey…Kagome, what's going on?_

"She looks dead!"  Shippou wailed, trying to nestle into Kagome's side, "She's so thin and pale!"  He was promptly ripped from his position by a furious hanyou.

"Get _off_ of her, kitsune!"  

"This is all your fault!" Shippou tried to swing at Inuyasha's head, but found himself dangling in the air by his tail.  This only furthered served to infuriate him, "She wouldn't be like this if it weren't for you!  You're the one that scared her-!"  

Miroku, Sango, and Kaede looked up in curiosity, but a thick cloud of rage flooded Inuyasha's heart, and was let loose on the young demon.  "What the fuck are you talking about?!"  He barked in a tone his friends had never heard him use before.

Shippou didn't seem fazed, "Don't lie! I could smell it!"

"Why would she be scared of Inuyasha, who's protected her for so long?"  Miroku wondered aloud.

"It must have been something else!"  Sango stood from her position and moved to pry Shippou from Inuyasha's grasp.  She was too slow, however, the Inu-youkai merely dropped the kitsune on the ground unceremoniously, before standing and moving to the door himself.  _It's not a mistake, he thought, _she was scared of **me.**__

"Inuyasha!"  Kaede called after him, "Where are you going?"

The only reply she received was the gentle howling of the wind through the open door.

"Lady Kaede," Miroku began, "do you have any idea what could be wrong with Kagome?"  He watched as the old woman knelt down to place a wrinkled hand on Kagome's forehead.  Shaking her head slowly, Kaede took in the girl's weak stature and appearance.  After placing several warding charms around the sleeping priestess, she finally answered.

"She appears to be… very troubled."

"We can tell that just by looking at her!"  Sango ran a hand through her hair, glancing quickly between her friend and the old woman, "Is it a spell?"

"I felt magic, but it was nothing that usually does not surround her."

"Maybe she's possessed?"  Shippou offered, scampering to Kagome's side.  It terrified him to see her like this.  In fact, it brought tears to his eyes, and he debated if he should try to wake her up or not to make sure she was ok.  When he moved to shake her slightly, Kaede's ancient hands were instantly upon him, pulling him away. 

"Young Shippou, Kagome needs her rest, no matter what form of rest it may be…"

"Still," Sango sighed, "I think we should stay near her tonight, in case anything happens."

"Should we go find Inuyasha?"   Miroku inquired, setting his staff up against a wall.

"No, not unless anything happens that we can't handle… I mean, she was just so _scared_ of him… I don't want her to wake up and see him even in the same room as her…"  Sango replied quickly, feeling the monk move to her side.  She was surprised he hadn't tried to pull anything, and figured it must have been some sort of record for him.  

"Don't worry Sango, I'm sure nothing will happen."  Miroku reassured, placing a hand on her shoulder.  She glanced up at him suspiciously, not even giving the hand time to finish sliding to it's destination on her chest.  Turning around and slamming her fist in his face, she cried, "Can you stop for even a moment?!"

Kaede and Shippou just sighed; it was business as usual.

****

=======

_Kagome sighed; it was business as usual.  _

_She was swimming in a pool of black again, returning to the Feudal Era to find yet another shard in their endless quest.  Having just finished failing yet another math test, she was running late.  Kagome had thought, for a moment, that Inuyasha might come to retrieve her.  Luckily for her, the Hanyou hadn't made the journey._

_Unfortunately for her, however, Inuyasha was waiting for her on the other side of the well.  Unfortunately for her, he was not in a pleased mood._

_"Where in the hell have you been?!"  He snarled, baring fangs she wasn't aware he had until that moment.  Kagome took a step back, intimidated.  She opened her mouth, and tried to answer, but so sound came out.  She tried again, and again, yet not even a mere whisper could escape. _

_Oh no…_

_'This isn't real.'  She told herself, berating her mind for letting such a detail slip.  How could she have fallen asleep again?  Get back in the well! Her mind was screaming, Get back in the Well!  _

_Picking up one foot and placing it behind the other, she inched closer to the well.  Inuyasha sensed the movement before her foot had reached the ground, and leapt over her, blocking her only escape route.  The smirk on his face was cruel, and the glint in his amber eyes had slowly begun to descend to a shade of crimson.  _

_'No!  Please, no!'  Her hoarse cries went unheard._

_Clawed hands reached for her neck._

_Tears began to fill her eyes._

_Time stopped._

_"What's the matter?"  He whispered, cradling the base of her head with his two hands, "Cat got your tongue?"  Kagome would have pulled away, had his claws not sunk into her neck at that instant.  The instant pain shot through her body faster than any bullet, and was intensified by his increasing grip as he slid his claws down to the bottom of her neck. _

_"Tell me when to stop, bitch."  He snarled, tightening his grip, "This will teach you for keeping me waiting...!"_

_Her mind went dull and her body numb. Her heart thundered in her ears, forming a new pattern of betrayal and sorrow.   Stop, Stop.  Stop, Stop.  Stop, Stop.  He didn't._

_But no one could hear her silent pleas or see her broken tears._

=======

Inuyasha sat, staring at the moon, and pretending he would be able to fall asleep sometime before the sun rose.  Thoughts filtered through his mind, but he extinguished them before they could reach his heart.  Occasionally, he would press one of his extremely sensitive ears to the roof of Kaede's hut… just to make sure everyone was still breathing.  Annoyed by the fact his pride wouldn't let him return to the warmth of the fire inside, and confused by the day's events, Inuyasha laid down on his side in defeat.  One ear was plastered against wood, and the other twitched to and fro, trying to catch a hint of any approaching demons.  

His muscles went taunt the moment he heard her heart pace increase, and her breath catch.  The Inu-Youkai's nose instantly sprang to life as it picked up a distinct metallic smell.

"Oh fuck me." He was off of the roof instantly, slamming through the front door just as Shippou began to wail.

"Kagome!  Kagome, wake up!"

"What's going on?"  Sango and Miroku were instantly aware of their surroundings.

"Huah Hu-huah!"  The dark haired girl was gasping desperately for breath, clawing at her neck with her hands.  Her wheezing was grating on Inuyasha's ears, and the smell of her blood was nearly overwhelming.

But where was it coming from?

Kneeling down beside her, Kaede was instantly met with something warm that quickly soaked through her gi.  "She is bleeding.  Shippou-chan, fetch my bandages quickly."  But the kitsune was too scared to do anything but cling onto Sango's side.  

Inuyasha, seeing that her desperate scratching was beginning to rub her neck raw, pulled her hands away, and pulled her into a sitting position.  He began to shake her, calling out her name and other random obscenities.  

"There's a strong dark force surrounding her.  Move aside, I will take care of this!"  Miroku stood to his full height.  Kaede nodded, and did not waste a moment.  She quickly began to place barrier spells up around the small hut to keep the evil force from flying out.

"Houshi-sama!"  Sango cried out, "Be careful not to hurt her!"

"Hurt her and I'll rip your arms off, Houshi."  Inuyasha warned, suppressing the flow of blood with the sleeve of his Kimono.  The crimson flecks in his eyes dug into the Miroku's own.

'_There isn't any physical force surrounding her… otherwise we would have sensed it sooner.  Is this Naraku's magic?'_

Suddenly, it hit him.  The symptoms… the fatigue… the horror… he'd seen this before.  A delighted smile crossed his features despite the fact his friend and traveling companion was suffocating to death.  Miroku stood directly behind Kagome and began to feel up and down her spinal column and neck.

Inuyasha's hand struck out light lightning to catch his hand before it went too far down, letting out something akin to a growl.  Miroku gulped at the mistake before reaching around to the front, only to get a similar reaction.  Thankfully, he found what he was looking for.  He pulled his hand back and began to pat her back furiously, "Spit it up Kagome-sama!  Cough it up!"

Inuyasha and the rest of the group looked on in extreme curiosity.  

Kagome, however, began to sputter furiously with his actions, her wheezing became more frantic, "Kagome-sama!" Miroku wrapped his arms around her mid center, and pulled her away from the hanyou.  "Kagome-sama, you must spit it up!"  If anyone from the 21st century had walked into the hut at that moment, they would have recognized what he was doing immediately.  With the efforts of his arms, Kagome began to cough frantically until finally it broke loose.

Out from her mouth popped a black spider, about the size of fist.  The force of her last cough sent the bug flying across the room.  "Quickly!  Capture it!"  Kaede exclaimed, moving to place it in a basket.  Sango and Inuyasha also dove for it, however Shippou, with his immense amount of experience in the field of catching small animals was the first to snatch it up.  

"Ow! Ow! OW!"  He cried, dumping it in the basket, "It's legs were sharp!"  Shippou held up his scratched hands as evidence of his misfortune.  The spider sliced through the basket as if it was mowing grass, and proceeded to head back towards Kagome.  Inuyasha, however, was quicker, slamming the hilt of the Tetsusaiga down upon it.  The creature let out a sharp and distinct screech as it quickly faded into a black blur of smoke and ash.  

Once the initial shock had worn off, the group began to move. Kaede sprinkled herbs and an unknown potion onto what little remained of the spider, making sure a resurrection would not be possible.

"Is Kagome-chan all right?"  Sango moved to Miroku's side.

"Miroku…"  A small voice wheezed, "I can't… breathe… when you're holding me…this tight…" she managed to squeeze out.  Miroku instantly released her from his death grip.  Kagome, still faint from loosing blood and the experience as a whole, swayed dangerously toward the ground.  Inuyasha reached out an arm to steady her back onto her sleeping bag.  

"Kagome,"  Kaede's voice was soft and gentle as she reached out a hand to the girl, "How do you feel?"  Sango had already begun to wrap Kagome's neck with a plain bandage, nudging Inuyasha's hand aside.

"Tired."  She managed to croak out, arousing an amused smile from Miroku.

"Lady Kagome, it was my honor to aid in saving-!"  

Sango cut him short, "Quit it Houshi-sama!  You were only in it to feel her up!"  Miroku looked appalled at her suggestion. 

"Really Sango, have you so little faith in me?"

"In your morality!"  She snapped back, securing the bandages.

"Besides!"  Shippou exclaimed happily, hopping over to the one dearest to his heart, "I was the one that caught the- Kagome? Kagome?" Inuyasha eased the girl onto her back, approving of her slow, steady heartbeat.  Sango realized at that moment, that he hadn't said a word since rushing in.  Making a mental note to discuss this with him later, Sango reached over and patted his shoulder, "You did a good job, Inuyasha."

"Feh."  Though, instead of his usual arrogant snort, his stone seemed more like a sneer, "Some job I did!"  Leaping to his feet angrily, he began to pace the length of the hut.  She could still die from her loss of blood!  Didn't anyone else realize this?

"How the _hell_ could this have happened to her without any of us noticing?!"  He demanded, punching one fist into the palm of his other hand.  Judging by the girl's demeanor she'd been having dreams like this for days-- maybe even weeks!  A frown crossed his already dark features;  her world, which he had always considered to be perilous, earsplitting, and putrid, had finally placed her in even a greater danger than his own.  And if he could prove it, then there would be justification for keeping her here, away from her evil spell books and the Hobojojo boy.  

The slightest smirked appeared on his face as he turned his back to his companions.

Yes, justification!

"It probably happened in her own time."  Miroku took his place against the wall, and studied the occupants of the room with a look of masked concern.  Shippou was still clinging to Kagome's legs when Sango finally pulled him away, whispering, "I think Kagome needs to finally get some sleep."  Even though the kitsune protested, she was resilient in her efforts to pry him off of her slumbering friend. 

"I agree."  Inuyasha turned around quickly, flexing his right hand dangerously.  The moonlight that filtered in through the open door gave a slight sheen to his razor sharp claws, making them appear more treacherous than before.  Kaede, who up until this point had been attending to Kagome, finally looked up and caught the Hanyou's gaze.

"You agree with what, Inuyasha?"

"In the morning, we'll question Kagome- even if she doesn't feel up to it-and get some real answers and suspects.  Until then, I'm gonna make sure there's nothing lurking around the village."

And before anyone could protest, or even open their mouths, Inuyasha had disappeared into the fading night, and rising sun.  In her sleep, Kagome stirred slightly.  If one had been listening carefully, they might have heard the faintest whisper that escaped her lips:

"Help me…"

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Yes, I promise there's more to this fanfiction.  Comments, questions, suggestions?


	2. Part 1: Entropy

Disclaimer Janx:  I don't own Inuyasha or any of its characters. Or maybe I do… D

Author's Note:  I just wanted to give out a HUGE thank you to those who commented on the last part, and asked me to continue.  3  you all have NO idea how much it means to me to get such positive feedback.  I'm not sure how long this story will end up being, but if I can stay positive and continue to obsess over Inuyasha, I should be in good shape, right?  And while you're here/after you're done with this chapter, you might want to check out Osuwari! () which is just a little collective my friends and I run with all IY related goods.  Ok, moving on…

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**A Thousand Years**

(Part 1: Entropy)

By Mourning Ophelia

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A long, long time ago, past the memories of those residing in our world today, there lived a monster, feared by all.  Deep inside a crevice of the earth it resided; brooding and breathing life into all things wicked and vile. From his depths of insanity, anger, and lust sprung a breed of demons that raced across the earth with such a fury, that they were unmatched in strength by any foe.  These beasts pried on the souls of innocent creatures, and their wickedness was reflected in their crimson eyes and shadowy bodies.  Since the first sighting of man, these demons-- the Ancients-- fought with all their might to retain the land they considered to be theirs.  However, the humans, displaying remarkable talent in magic and healing drove back the onslaughts of the Ancients and sealed them far into the earth with their creator, and out of the hearts of the human race.

Once every hundred years a dark spirit would slip through the cracks of this confinement, taking the shape of animals, humans, and wild life.  These new breeds of youkai inhabited the world, constantly at war with man for reasons hidden only in their subconscious.  Some were able to bond with humans, while others sought to destroy them at all costs.  The Ancients, however, were to remain sealed in their graves, for no man or youkai dared to venture forth to obliterate them.  Because of this, the youkai were never able to fully rid themselves of the iniquitous nature of the Ancients and fell back onto their primal instincts, slaughtering their human allies, and roving freely through the luscious wild life one more.  

Nine hundred years went by, and the world was radically changed and molded by its people and war.  Finally, the Ancients dug themselves up from their shallow grave, casting a heavy shadow on the sun, and blocking out the moon's gentle light.  Raids and massacres became more frequent, and mankind found itself in desperate need of a warrior who would, at the very least, be able to seal away these nightmares.   

Their savior came in the form of a small girl with ivory skin and midnight hair.  It is said that she had not yet matured into womanhood, but her youthful beauty attracted the Ancients back to the place confinement.  The first evil, the Creator, rose from the ground with a terrible rumble, and promised the retreat of the Ancients if she would return with him to his dark kingdom.  The girl agreed; however, on the night that she was supposed to leave with him, the Creator found himself betrayed- his body destroyed by a single arrow that cut through the air like a sword.  His soul, heavy with fury and melancholy drifted down towards his crevice, and the Ancients sunk into the ground, moaning and screeching as though it had been them to have suffered such a loss.    

And it is said, that if one was to find this hell pit, they would still be able to hear the howling of battle cries and crashing of razor sharp teeth against their prison, echoing throughout the land that used to be, and would be once more, their domain…

========

"Did you get the job done?"

Cigarette ash fluttered to the ground like a lost prayer on its way to heaven.  The man sitting across from him did not move nor respond; it was though he was insulted by the mere though of having failed.  Hands that had been scorched by the fires of hell themselves began to strum idly on the ancient wood desk, twisting into a pattern of chaos and obedience, though no feeling came in return.  Eyes that had long since forgotten how to see, had been sewn shut, and with the severe mutilation that he had one time endured, no mouth was present.  His employer tried not to be disgusted by the small piece of flesh that was parading as a nose.  The only redeeming quality was a pitch black hood, which masked the places where other appendages had previously been attached.

"I see."  The employer picked up his wine glass and swirled it around, matching the other man's rhythm with ease and superiority.  His long hard stare was rewarded as the bandages of the walking corpse began to unravel and twist around each other, forming a cast like web.  The employer watched as the other broke off the token and placed it upon his desk.  No other words were necessary.

After some indefinite passage of time, the mummy man began to sink into his chair.  Slowly, limb by limb, he vanished, leaving only a pile of vile bandages and a miniature spider in his wake.  The employer turned the cast web over in his hands, admiring the perfect symmetry of the millions of strings that finally connected at the center.  Then, as his finger ran over it gingerly, a small piece snapped off, turning into a spider.  Slamming a fist down upon it, the employer rose from his seat, still holding the web in his hand.

"Dream Catcher," he began, his voice booming, "What is the meaning of this?"

**_One has gotten away…_**

****

"How is this possible?" The glass of wine was swiftly crushed, "I paid you to-!"

**_A small bird is not able to rid herself of a spider's web as quickly as she might think._**

****

This information seemed to calm the young man, though his gaze still burned with an enraged passion, "My plan is perfect, if it is not successful, then it will be _you who feels the final repercussion!"_

**_Of course, young master._ **

The blood and wine that had been previously mingled slowly dripped to the floor, sealing both oath and destiny.  The young man sat, dipping back into his black leather chair, resting his feet atop of his desk.  His office remained dimly lit, even as the sun rose steadily into the morning sky, for no light could ever penetrate the cloud of darkness that had been put into place that night.  

No one could even imagine what would be coming, and that thought thrilled the man.  A cruel smile twisted itself onto his otherwise handsome features, and a single ray of light caught the discarded web that lay on the floor.  

This time, there would be no failure.  

========

"Inuyashaaa…" came the exasperated sigh of one reincarnated priestess, "I can walk, you know."

"You stupid, stubborn wench!"  He snapped back, increasing his grip on her. "You haven't been on your feet in three days, and you think you can make it through the forest? Feh, don't make me laugh!"

Reaching up, Kagome gave his right ear a sharp tweak instantly inciting two reactions:  Kagome flew backwards, nearly crashing into Miroku and Shippou as Inuyasha reached up to grasp his ear and howl in pain.

"What the _hell was that _for?!_"_

"You should have let me walk!"

"I was doing you a favor Bitch!" 

"Oh, you big baby!  I hardly touched it!"

"You yanked it, half brain!"

"SIT!"

"ARGH!"  

Sango shot Miroku a relieved glance at the ounce of normalcy that had finally begun to sink back into their routine.  Much to Inuyasha's former dismay, it took three days for Kagome to finally wake up and have the strength to move about.  He had been out 'hunting'-for what, Sango did not wish to look into-, and had returned ten minutes after she had fallen back asleep.  The next day, or rather today, Kagome had no recollection of what had happened, never mind where the spider had come from or when she had gotten it.  Inuyasha, in what Sango had deemed as a valiant effort to assist his female companion had offered to carry Kagome until she "got her walking legs back," as they investigated a Shikon Shard rumor.  At the time, Sango had found it very kind of him to offer, but as he scooped up her friend despite her protests, she knew it would spell trouble later…

Which would be now.

Shippou was immediately by Kagome's side, clutching at her hand, "Are you all right?"  

Kagome smiled at his concern, but didn't answer as she and Inuyasha both began to rise to their feet glaring daggers at each other.  

'And to think I was actually being nice to the wench!' he thought bitterly as she strolled past him with Shippou close behind, "Let's see how far you get without me!"  He hollered after them.

  Miroku placed a pacifying hand on his friend's shoulder, but remained silent.   Sango moved to catch up to the other half of their traveling party.  They still had a few days worth of hunting a head of them, and he was already annoyed, frustrated, and angry with the girl.  Wasn't she the one that collapsed without any reason?  Wasn't she the one that had the dream spider in her?  Wasn't she the one that was in constant need of his protection?  Biting down a growl in his throat, he ripped himself away from Miroku and stomped after them.

It was so sudden; Inuyasha had no time to react.  The forest unnaturally stilled around the two males:  Any former wildlife ceased to move or squeak, and the trees ceased their eternal groaning and straining in the wind.  To Inuyasha, it had become dead, a wasteland in which he could hear nothing but the heart beats of those around him and smell their own alarm.  The foliage up ahead blocked their view, and the air around them became damp and stale, as though it hadn't moved in hundreds of years.   Finally, Shippou's startled cry cut through the icy silence.

"Kagome!"

The monk and Inuyasha sprinted to catch up to them,  Inuyasha frantically trashing down any shrubbery in their path, only to find Sango waving madly in front of Kagome's face, and calling her name.   The latter remained standing, her back rigid as Miroku and Inuyasha came to stand in front of her.  

"Kagome-sama?"  Miroku snapped his fingers in front of her face, concerned.  Her eyes, though open, remained sightless and gazed at an undeterminable point.  It seemed to him that she had frozen in mid action, unable to complete the train of thought that had crossed her mind.  Inuyasha had begun to shake her and call her name, and just when they were about to fully jump to panic mode, Kagome Higurashi snapped out of her trance with a startled gasp.  She stumbled back a few steps, pressing a hand to her mouth in dull shock, landing softly on her bottom.  Even Inuyasha had been too startled to move to catch her.

"Kagome!  What happened?"  Sango knelt beside her friend, worry still etched on her face.  Miroku and Shippou both sat next to her, completing their small circle.  Inuyasha, however, remained a few paces back, taking in their environment.  It was almost as quickly as Kagome had returned to her a functioning state that the rest of the world picked back up with her.  Like nothing had happened, he noted thoroughly disturbed.

"I'm not sure…"  She whispered, still in a state of shock, "It was like I was dreaming, but it wasn't my dream."

"_Another fucking spider?"  Inuyasha snarled, finally joining them.  _

"No!"  She asserted quickly, "No, it wasn't like that!"  Kagome finally realized that tears had begun to streak her cheeks.  Scrubbing them off hastily, she stood back up, "We need to keep going though."

"I don't think we should continue in your present state-!" Miroku began to protest, still trying to peel the terrified kitsune off of his leg.  

Kagome cut in yet again, "I'm _fine!  But we need to keep moving, _please!_"  Sango couldn't help but notice the desperation in her tone.  _

Inuyasha was instantly on his feet, a hand on the Tetsusaiga and nose in the air.  "She's right!"  He huffed, "Run back to the village and tell Kaede-baba about what happened!"

"What's going on?" Sango cried as Miroku began to pull them back in the direction they had come from.  Shippou was already a good fifty yards ahead.

"Inuyasha!"  Kagome cried, wrenching herself free from Miroku's grip, "We're not going to leave you here!"

"You'll just get in the way!"  He snapped, the smell of the approaching beast filling his nose.

"No, no, no!"  She near screamed, "We _can't leave you by yourself!  Miroku, Sango! No!  My dream, I saw-!"  Even as they began to pull her to safety, Kagome wouldn't ease up on her struggling, "We have to stay and fight!"  _

By the time the youkai had broken through the last of the surrounding trees, Miroku, Sango, and the still frantic Kagome had only enough time to duck behind the shelter of a nearby fallen tree.  The snake youkai released a languid hiss, slithering up to Inuyasha's position and staring him right in the face.  In a strike that was almost undetectable to the human eye, the hanyou sliced upward in an attempt to cleave off its head.  The youkai had other ideas, however, and nearly impaled Inuyasha's neck with its fangs.

Swearing as he leapt to safety, Inuyasha couldn't help but notice the presence of three others, "I thought I told you idiots to leave!"

Before he could hear their reply, the snake struck again, this time with its tail.  The Tetsusaiga slashed through it with ease, and a long shriek emitted from the snake youkai.  The hanyou flatted his ears to his head in an attempt to block out the horrid sound.  An impassive look crossed his face as the squirming appendage laid spasming on the forest floor.  

"Sssstupidsss…"  He was able to make out.  The tail had begun to elongate, and slowly but surely, another snake took its place.  

_'Shit...'  _

Sango lowered her face mask and instantly had the Hiraikotsu in her hand, jumping over the log to aid her friend.  Miroku leapt to his feet in an attempt to shield Kagome from any harm.  Sango's mouth was moving rapidly, but Inuyasha seemed to disregard any of the advice the demon exterminator gave.  The first snake youkai continued to screech as though it was being torn apart, limb by limb.  Miroku began to open his wind tunnel when he felt a small hand restrain him.

"Wait, Miroku!"  Kagome cried, "Look!  Look at the smoke!"

From the open mouths of the snakes slithered out a fine yellow gas that instantly polluted the air inside of the forest clearing.  Even from his distance, the monk could vaguely pick up the nauseating smell.  Kagome covered her mouth and nose with her free hand, and increased her grip on Miroku's arm in sudden panic.  She called out Inuyasha's name several times, hoping to catch his attention, or at least Sango's.  As his movements became more and more lethargic and the snake began to strike, Kagome figured out what was happening.

"Miroku!"  She called over the snake's cry, "We have to get them out of there!"

"But Inuyasha will surely-!" He began to protest.

"He can't hear or smell anything, Miroku.  If the noise and smoke is bad for us humans, imagine how horrible it is for him!  Nothing Sango is trying to warn him about is getting through to him, because _he can't hear her_!"  

_'Kagome-sama…' Miroku looked at her stoic face,_ 'Is this the reason you were so desperate to leave?  Did you see something…?'__

"All right. However, there's no way that I'll be able to carry both Inuyasha and Sango out of there by myself, Kagome-sama.  I will require your assistance."  He replied, gripping his staff.  Their two companions had disappeared in the thick cloud of yellow smog that had appeared.  

"Miroku, we won't be able to get past both snakes and have the time to get them…"

"What do you suggest then?"

A rather brilliant idea struck her then as she gripped her bow and pulled an arrow from its quiver, "I'll go in first!  This type of smoke is _nothing compared to the pollution in Tokyo during rush hour!"  She flashed him the victory sign and a smile, "Somehow, I'll get rid of the snakes… or at least create a distraction.  You can pull them out one at a time!"  Before Miroku mustered the willpower to protest, she had already vanished into the haze._

========

In retrospect, Kagome realized it wasn't such a brilliant plan after all.

The smoke stung her eyes and assaulted her nostrils, and she found herself fighting for the precious oxygen she so desperately needed.  _'You are ok, Kagome, ok.' She told herself._

Holding her bow and arrow out infront of her, Kagome began to feel her way through the trees and brush.  A few branches grabbed at her clothing and skin, slicing through them.  However, she continued blindly, using the small streams of sunlight as a guiding light.  

_'The dream… this is just like-!'_

She found herself flying forward, having tripped over something solid.  A wince of pain quickly followed, as well as a curse for her clumsiness.  Kagome reached back to find where her weapon had flown too.  Desperately running her hands across the ground, she met with something smooth and hard, and instantly reeled back in alarm.  

Instead of being the snake or a log, she found herself face to face with a passed out Sango.  The armor on which Kagome's hand laid had remained unscathed despite her battle, "Sango! Sango, wake up!"  A quick slap to the face didn't arouse even a stir from the other girl.  

"Miroku!  I found Sa-!" Kagome was violently ripped from her friends side in that next instant, and pulled into the crushing grip of the youkai before she could so much as even scream.  

"Sssssoooo pretttysssss… weeesss sssshaallll enjoysss yousss…" Even through the fog, she could feel the snake's hot breath on her face, as it brought the tail that held her trapped up to its head, "Yooousss ssshalll tastesss gooodsss…"  She felt its tongue snap across her temple like a whip, and the inevitable drip of blood down her face.  Her heart clenched in fear, where was Inuyasha?

'_Kagome, you dummy.  You're the one that's supposed to be rescuing him! I have to get out of this!  I have people to protect!'  Images of Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Shippou and the village flashed through her mind like rapid fire from a gun._

Even as the snake tightened its grip, she could feel something growing inside of her.  Her chest felt warm and tingly, like it would explode if sparked.  A surge of energy ran through her from the tips of her fingers to the ends of her toes.  The power that had always remained dormant inside of her unless otherwise provoked bubbled up.  It cleared her mind, erased any lingering doubts and continued to wash over in a wave of warmth and light.  The power… she…remembered it.  Almost like a distant memory, or sleeping lion.  She knew.

"Let. Me. GO!"  

========

The light that erupted from her outstretched hand was blinding that even Miroku, who was a good dozen feet behind her, was blown off his feet by the sheer intensity.  Landing on something rather squishy provoked him to look down sheepishly. 

"Oh, hello Sango!"  No response.

"Sango?"

Miroku leaned down to get a closer look at her face.  It seemed impassive, but gentle… like a child asleep, he mused.  But Sango was no child, as evident by her struggles… and well, the shape of her body that Miroku had noticed more than once in his life time, to say the least.  Tenderly, he reached down to pick up the still unconscious Sango, and slung her over his shoulder.  He grasped her legs firmly as he looped one arm around them.  However, the monk kept one sleeve pressed to his mouth.  

Though, as he continued to search for his friends, he noticed a few very curious things.  One, the noise had ceased and the smog was beginning to filter from the area.  Two, the bright light was completely gone as was Kagome.  And three, his feet had begun to track into something slimy.  

Groaning as he tried to scrape off the souls of his shoes against the bark of a nearby tree, Miroku mentally winced.  After calling out for Kagome and receiving no immediate answer, he placed Sango sitting against a sturdy tree, and began to wave the smog away to clear a line of vision.  The sunlight that broke through the trees cast an eerie light on his surroundings.  The atmosphere around him had swiftly shifted into a more paranormal state, and even though his emotions were running high, he felt strangely calm.  

And this was the reason why he was not surprised to finally see her.

========

As Kagome flew back from the blast she had created, she felt surprisingly numb.  The impact with the sharp rocks to her back and head were seemingly deflected, though she could feel the warmth and consciousness leaving her.  

And it wasn't like the stories you'd read about in newspapers or tabloids where the people would see their lives flashing in front of them; it was more of an all encompassing weakness that drained your body.  She felt slow, sluggish.  In the back of her mind, she wondered where Inuyasha and the other snake youkai had gotten off to.  

_'At least his chances are better now… I hope Sango is…'_

A familiar voice shouting out her name broke her from her thoughts.  '_Miroku__…'_

She opened her mouth to respond, feeling relieved-- maybe she would make it after all.  But when no sound embodied her desperate thoughts, Kagome knew it was over.  As the numb began to fade and sharp pain pounded into her, she didn't care that she was giving up.  In that instant and the moments prior, she had helped her friends, and that was all that mattered.

_'Still,' she thought, staring up at the trees above her, __'This doesn't feel right.  It's like I'm stuck my dreams again… but no.  Death is not a dream.  I've just been outrunning it for so long.  This is real.'  _

A single tear slipped down her face, _'But I don't want it to be!'_

And then, as fate would have it, a soft voice began to pull her from the dark tunnel she was slipping into:

**_Kagome, Kagome…_**

Kagome was so enraptured by the sing song tone of the voice that she found the strength to turn her head in the direction it was coming from.  Across the bank of the dried stream that she had been thrown into, stood a little girl no more than ten years of age.  Her skin seemed to glow like the moon on an otherwise dark and stormy night, and raven hair cast a shadow that masked her face.  There was something bone-chilling about her demeanor…

**_When does the bird_**

**_Inside the cage comes out?_**

****

The little girl bent down to pick up the dead and decaying flowers that lined the bank like fallen soldiers and gathered them into a bouquet.  Skipping, she reached down to pick up a round, smooth rock and skip it across a surface of imaginary water.  And if Kagome's eyes were really losing sight, she would have believed the water she saw carrying it toward her.   Then, suddenly, the little girl was facing her.  The reincarnated priestess' eyes widened as the little girl flew towards her as though she was enraged, and her feet remained several inches off of the ground.  Kagome closed her eyes in an attempt to block out the image. 

**_Who is in front of the back_**

**_Where the crane and turtle slipped and fell?_**

****

The little girl's voice was a mere whisper now that she hovered directly above Kagome.  The soft light glowing from her body forced Kagome's eyes open to small, disbelieving cracks.  The girl placed a pacifying hand on Kagome's forehead, instantly erasing all worry, doubt and confusion.  

And for a moment, Kagome thought she was an angel.

"Kagome," she whispered sweetly, her face still shrouded in shadows, "Don't be afraid…" 

And for a moment, Kagome wasn't.  

In return for her silence, she received a small, feather-like kiss on the cheek- like any older sister would come to expect of a younger sibling.  Kagome smiled, embraced the pain, and shut her eyes slowly.

**_I'm here to help…_**

 ========

Sorry, bad place to stop I know. D  But anyway… sorry for the long wait.  I hope it was worth it. 3

Ophelia 2003


	3. Part 2: Empty Places

Disclaimer Janx:  If I owned it/them, I probably wouldn't be writing this.  

Quick Note:  Last chapter was confusing, ehhhh?  Don't worry, it, like most things I write, shall be explained!  Thank you for the helpful and kind comments!

Much love to Jusifina for the beta! 3

========

**A Thousand Years**

(Part 2: Empty Places)

By Mourning Ophelia

I walk by her side, and the darkness lifts from my soul.  
I walk with her, and I hear the gentle beating of mighty wings...  
     -Dream, about Death (Sandman Comics)

========

Inuyasha was unimpressed, to say the very least.

He flexed his right hand, examining his bloodied claws with an apparent look of distaste.  At his feet laid the snake youkai, its remains scattered about the forest clearing.   With the halting of its shrieks, he was finally able to clear the ringing from his abused ears.  Inuyasha took the moment to stick his nose up in the air and breathe in deeply.  A stitch of anger unraveled in the back of his mind; his scent of the others had been badly skewed by the noxious gas that the serpents had been emitting.  How could he have let the stupid youkai lead him so far from the others?    

Inuyasha retraced his steps, following the broken foliage that lay on the ground as evidence of the fight. Hopefully he hadn't been wrong to entrust the demon exterminator and the monk with protecting Kagome.  The fact that he could still hear the wail of the other youkai wasn't easing any of the tittering fears in the back of his mind.  His feet were thundering against the ground now, snapping twigs and bruising brush.

And then, it happened again.

The forest around him went eerily silent, but he could _distinctly_ hear a girl screaming "Let me go!" and he could _distinctly_ feel being thrown backward against a tree by the sheer force of the angelic white light.  The tree bent and splintered beneath him, and his eyes widened.  

"What the _hell?!" He groaned, shaking the fallen leaves from his fine white mane.  Instantly he leapt back onto his feet.  The stupid girl was obviously in trouble again-- hell! -- She was probably splattered against the forest floor!  Something lurched inside of him, springing him forward towards Miroku's voice that was calling out for the girl.  _

'That's one that's still alive . . .' 

He just hoped he could count the others.

========

"Kagome-sama . . .?"  Miroku whispered, unable to tear his eyes off of the little ghostly girl.  The sun shone through the foliage, playing a game of light and shadows about her.  It looked as though she whispered something to the reincarnated priestess.  He dared to take another step forward, eyeing his friend's pacifying reaction.  The plain white dress that clung to the little girls form swayed as she leaned forward toward Kagome.

"Hey!"  Miroku called, mistaking this as animosity, "Get away from--!!"  The words died on his lips as Kagome received a kiss on the cheek.  She smiled briefly and shut her eyes, as if falling back into slumber.  As the girl faded back into the scenery, her eyes still shrouded by the darkness of her black hair, Kagome's breathing began to slow little by little.  It was almost as though she had received a kiss of death; one that had sucked the living spirit out of her.  But on closer inspection, one would have seen the serene look on the teenager's face, and watched the soft rise and fall of her chest. 

Miroku, however, thought she was dead.  Knowing that if anything had happened to her, with him less than a dozen feet away, he would never be able to forgive himself, Miroku took a running leap forward to close the distance between them.  He silently prayed that she could be awakened.    Taking a shaking breath in, he reached for her face to feel any of the foreboding coldness that preceded the inevitable. . .

But his hand never made it.

Just as quickly as he had made his way over, Miroku was being tossed back and away from his friend.  A female voice began to shriek over and over:

**_Leave her alone!  Leave her alone! LEAVE HER ALONE!!_**

****

He clasped his hands around his ears, taking into account that the voice became louder, the closer he came to her.  When standing up and running over proved to only set him back farther, he began to crawl on his stomach over to her, foot by foot.  When Miroku was within inches of her, he felt two distinct hands grab his ankles and drag him back.

"Dammit!"  He swore, his usual mask of calculated calmness cracking, "Evil spirit, begone!"  

Nothing happened. 

Not even an evil cackle to point out his failure. 

A gust of wind blew through the clearing, and a brilliant blur of red flashed before his eyes.  "What the hell is going on?!"  Inuyasha had finally finished stampeding through the forest.  His scent immediately picked up on the wounded girl in the dry river bank.  Miroku, recognizing the concern and rage on his face attempted to prevent any more casualties. 

"Inuyasha!  Don't move towards-!"  The words died on his lips as Inuyasha casually strolled over to her.  He knelt down next to the sleeping girl slowly, eyes wide, as if seeing something truly miraculous happen.  Inuyasha didn't say a word.  And from his position on the forest floor, it looked like he wasn't breathing at all.

'He's going to kill me.  Rip me apart limb by limb.' Miroku squeezed his eyes shut, 'How could I have let this happen?'  Kagome, who was such a dear friend... his heart shuttered inside of his painfully, as he pounded a fist into the ground.

"Kag . . . o . . . me . . ." Inuyasha managed to squeeze out from his throat, "Wake up."

She didn't move.

And it was like the fucking spider again, but only worse.  Even though he couldn't sense her fear, or see her scream at him . . . he would have given anything that moment just to have her sit him.

"You stupid bitch!"  He snarled suddenly, "Wake up!"

Wake up!  Wake up!  Wake up! 

Gods, he was going to tear something apart!  _Wake up!_

_"This is all your fault!" Shippou's voice was in his ears again, _"She wouldn't be like this if it weren't for you!  You're the one that scared her-!"_  _

"Inuyasha . . .?"  A small voice whispered from beneath him, "You-you're hurting me."

He snapped back out of his brooding to see his hands gripped harshly around her forearms.  Kagome's eyes were wide, and her mouth was slightly parted.  There was blood on her arms, he realized.  There was blood on his claws.  There was _her_ blood on _his_ claws.  There was . . . 

Inuyasha leapt back, obviously startled.

Kagome sat in sheer stupor.

Miroku was still cursing himself into the ninth circle of hell.

Sango . . . was still knocked out, apparently.

And the earth persistently spun.

"Inuyasha!"  She struggled to her feet, "Are you-_woah__!"  Her legs slipped out from underneath her.  Why did it feel like she'd been hit by a speeding semi-truck?_

He reached out to catch her before she could fall, concern encompassing his sharp features, "What happened?!"  He demanded again.

"I-I don't-!"  Kagome stammered, trying to paste the sequence of events back in order.  First the foreboding thing, next the youkai, then the gas and noise, then Inuyasha left with Sango, and then--

"Kagome-sama!  You're alive!"  Miroku flew at her, hugging her tightly, "I was so worried!"  Beside them, Inuyasha twitched.

"I'm fine!"  Kagome assured, forcing a smile on her face, "But if you don't remove your hand from its current position, I'm going to wake up Sango."  Yes, it was a very evil smile indeed.

"Where _is_ Sango?"  Inuyasha gave the monk an accusing look.  Miroku held up his hands innocently, watching Kagome step out of the bank.

"I saw her back there . . ." She laughed sheepishly, "I kind of stepped on her."

"You too?"  Miroku placed a hand behind his head and laughed with her.

"Feh, some friends you are.  Where is she now?" Inuyasha sniffed the air, cringing at the remainder of the youkai stench.

"Here!"  A voice called softly.  Kagome's head snapped around in its direction.

"Sango!"  She yelled, rushing over, "Are you all right?"

"Yes . . ." Sango allowed her friend to help support her weight, "Just a little light headed . . ."  
  


Inuyasha tried not to show how relieved his was.  Three out of three.  Sliding his hands inside of his sleeves, he passed an impassive look onto the two girls walking back toward them.

Miroku glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, "Inuyasha, I'm presuming you destroyed the other youkai?"

"Of course!"

". . . Did you find any shards?"

The hanyou blinked.  Truth be told, he had been to frantic in getting back to his friends to actually _check_.  But, the snake hadn't shown any extra strength.  There were no magical and powerful attacks.  There were no taunts to hint at it.  So what was the monk getting at?

"I see."  Miroku took his silence as dissent, "That is very peculiar then."

"What?  What the hell are you talking about?"  

"How was Kagome-sama able to detect the youkai before _you_ then?"

Good question.  One Inuyasha didn't have time to consider has he rushed back to **_save them from their imminent doom_.  A bitter scowl crossed his face.**

"Kagome has always been able to detect youkai, or at least their auras."  Sango put in, as Kagome helped her sit near the dry river bank.  

"Um guys, I _am_ standing _right here_."  Kagome pointed out, exasperated, "You could just ask me!"  

"It doesn't make sense that the wench would panic like that."  Inuyasha grumbled, plopping down next to Sango.  Miroku quickly followed suit, forming a triangle of confusion.

"She did seem rather frightened, but it could be because of the dream spider. . ."  Sango input, "Kagome might be on the edge due to lack of sleep."

"It probably would have been best not to have gone out shard hunting until she was herself again."

"Augh!"  Inuyasha punched his fist into the ground, "The stupid bitch!"

"HEY!"  Kagome fumed, obviously enraged, "Inuyasha, SIT!"

"Inuyasha, calm down.  We're all fine.  Kagome's fine.  Shippou's back at the village getting Kaede . . . I'm sure she might have some answers."

"The old ghoul won't be able to help.  We just need to get answers out of Kagome."

The subject blinked.  

"Sit!"

Nothing happened.

"Sit! Sit!  Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit!"

"Speaking of which, you realize that it was she that destroyed the last youkai."  Miroku's staff jangled as he sighed heavily, "I've never seen anything quite like that."

"You mean . . . that fucking light?!"  Inuyasha leapt to his feet, his eyes scanning the clearing wildly. There weren't any signs of the battle left, save for the scattered remains of one very deceased youkai.

"God dammit!"  Kagome nearly screamed, "Sit!"

Inuyasha walked right through her to the other side of the bank.

Kagome felt the tears fill her eyes.  Suddenly, she couldn't breathe.  Panic.  She was panicking.  Was she dead?  Oh no, oh no, oh no . . .

"I'm too young to die . . ." she whispered, horrified.  To test her theory, she took a swipe at Sango's ponytail.  Nothing.  A swift kick toward Miroku's head did less damage than a breeze blowing through a pile of leaves.  Nothing. This was very, very bad.

Very, very, very, very, _very bad._

Minutes passed before any of the group spoke again, "They're coming."  Inuyasha announced, his ear twitching in the direction of the stamping of horse hooves, "It's about time!" he called, annoyed.

"There!"  Shippou's high voice cut through the air, "They're there!"  The kitsune was rapidly approaching from his perch on Kaede's shoulder.  The old priestess slowed her horse to a walk as they entered the clearing.  Behind the two were three more fully armed men.  Seeing that the youkai was in pieces and the group, well, wasn't, Kaede waved the men back in the direction of the village.  Silently, she dismounted her horse, tying its reigns to a near by trunk, and made her way over.

"Kaede-sama!"  Miroku greeted, pushing himself up to stand in his fill height.  He offered a hand to Sango, but she proved to be more than capable of standing on her own.  A quick smile of thanks was flashed in his direction, and an even faster slap reproached him for misinterpreting it. 

"Hello, I'm glad to see you well . . . however, I was under the impression that you were all in grave danger?"  She greeted, nodding in each of their directions.  Miroku began to fill her in on what happened, starting with Kagome's premonition.  Along the way, Sango and Inuyasha would fill in the blanks with their own adventures.

'This is _so not cool_!'  Kagome sniffed, sitting on a stump nearby.  

**_Kagome, Kagome..._**

"You!"  Kagome whispered furiously searching for the girl's form, "You killed me!"

**_When does the bird inside the cage come out?_**

"Why?" She pleaded desperately, "What did I ever do to you?"  

**_What is death, and what is life?_**

**_To sing a song of mourning,_**

**_Or a single storm strife?_**

****

"Stop it!" Kagome yelled, "Just answer me!"  The reincarnated (and now apparently _dead) priestess had had it with the riddles.  The anger inside of her bubbled up, and she was about ready to demand further clarification again when the voice whispered in her ear:_

**_In the moonlight she seeks to find_**

**_A dark place of unabridged light,_**

**_A single shot to bind._**

****

Bind?  As in, to a tree?  As in, a single arrow fired by the _other dead priestess?_

The little girl was next to her now, still murmuring her song,

**_A new legacy of an heir,_**

**_A new tragedy of worship:_**

**_Mate of the beast, beware!_**

****

"Please . . ." Kagome's voice was hoarse with desperation, "Please undo what you've done to me . . ." The singing finally came to a halt.

**_They'll hurt you.  They'll always hurt you!_**

"Who?"  

**_Stay away from him!  I won't let you leave!_**

"Inuyasha?"  Kagome reached out to stroke the little girl's face, trying to soothe her like she would any child, "Are you talking about Inuyasha?"  The girl pulled back as if she'd been burned by her touch.

**_Such is a story my mother told me, but I cannot speak the unspeakable.  I cannot let you leave this place to be hurt._**

****

Kagome wasn't sure if she should be more impressed by the girl's possessiveness, or her lexicon.  In either case, she wasn't getting anywhere.  What was she getting at?

"Inuyasha will protect me, and besides!  You can't keep me here against my will."  Kagome insisted, "I thought you were going to _help_ me!"

**_The question is wrong, if you've misunderstood.  _**

"Yes!"  Kagome was more than frustrated at this point, "I have misunderstood!"

**_Who is in front of the back,_**

**_Where the crane and turtle slipped and fell?_**

"Stop it, right now!"  Kagome stood and stomped over to her.  The little girl ran.  Kagome chased, apprehensive about leaving the group behind.

**_They haven't even noticed you're gone.  How are they you're friends?_**

Kagome was shocked, but didn't cease in her run.  Had she read her mind? Around her, the forest blurred from simple streaks of green and black to sheer white light and color.  Random memories of her youth, her mother and father, and even her time in the Warring States Era seemed to float by as she ran.  The mystical tendrils of her memories seemed to reach out and pass through her.  She felt as faint as a ghost.

The light tunnel snapped to a finish, and as soon as she had overstepped it, she was hit by a burst of fresh air.  Suddenly, they were out of the dark forest and in a boundless field of pastel flowers. Daffodils, tulips, and wild flowers she didn't recognize... it was truly the most stunning sight she had ever seen. Kagome felt as though she would drown in the sheer beauty and height of the growth.  The sun above her shone as if the world had not a care, and the wind chilled the temperature to one of pure bliss.  The flower field swayed gently with it, carrying the soft humming of . . . nonentity.  Even with the vast amount of growth, there were no disruptions to the tranquility:  No animals, no streams, and no people.

There was _nothing_.

Was this supposed to be . . . heaven?

Kagome had never considered herself to be a religious person.  In fact, she had always scoffed at her Grandpa's attempts to educate her in the afterlife.  After all, why had she needed to know any of it?

Why did she have to worry about something that could never happen to her?

It was then that Higurashi Kagome finally began to cry.

========

****

Back at the clearing, there was only one person that seemed to be overly confused about the whole ordeal.  This very same person was the _only one to notice that __something was amiss._

Shippou began to look around, sniffing at the air wildly.  Something twisted inside of his stomach, but it wasn't sickening and didn't make him feel ill.  Instead, it was more along the lines of a sense of déjà vu.

Or a spirit?

"Kagome?"  He whispered, turning in her direction.  The tears were already streaming down his cheeks.  Shippou was young, but he knew what death was.  He knew a spirit when he saw one.

She was in front of him, her face buried in her hands.  

"Kagome?" Shippou sobbed loudly, eliciting no response from her.  Kagome's back went rigid, and she yelled something that sounded garbled and confused him.  Was it really her or just some figment of his wishful imagination?  The Kagome in front of him was talking angrily now.

"Kagome!"  He moaned, rushing over to her, his arms passing through her translucent legs "Don't leave me!  _Please!_"  

But she faded away.  Just like that.  Her image flicked out of his vision like an extinguished candle, and Shippou wailed-- Not the typical "Inuyasha-is-being-mean!" screaming, but something caused the forest to become very still and focused on him.  Other youkai would have recognized it instantly as true mourning and would have left him to himself . . . other youkai might have even avoided eating him out of sheer pity . . . but Inuyasha was not other youkai, nor was he pleased with the interruption in the serious conversation they were having.

"What the fuck is wrong with you now, brat?"  He snapped, snatching the kitsune up by his collar.  Kaede moved to take him from Inuyasha's grip, but the hanyou swung him around and away from her ancient hands.

"Y-yo-you killed her_!"  He sobbed, not even trying to shake himself out of Inuyasha's grasp, "You _killed her!_"_

"Who?  Who the hell are you talking about?"  He shook the young demon, trying to shake sense into him.  Everyone was there and accounted for, weren't they?  Inuyasha snorted:  the kid was probably just putting on an act for attention.

"Kagome!  You killed Kagome! You asshole, you don't even remember her!"  The kitsune was sent sprawling towards the ground.

It felt as though he was waking up from a long dream, and he was suddenly extremely aware of his surroundings.  A certain void became devastatingly obvious, and his gut wrenched painfully.  There was a lack of a teenage girl . . . who had been in his arms sleeping no more than seconds ago, right?     She had been bleeding, but she was awake and had helped Sango walk, Right?

Right?

"Ka-go-me . . ." Miroku and Sango both parroted, the spell broken on them as well.

Inuyasha stared down at his claws.  Blood!  There was blood on them. It was hers.  It had to be.

"Where is she?!"  Sango whispered, horror-struck.  Miroku had begun to run around the perimeter calling out for the missing girl frantically.  Shippou now clung to Kaede's leg in absolute misery, "I saw her!  She vanished!  She died because of you!"  A small finger weighed heavily on the air as it struck out to point at the hanyou.  

Inuyasha dropped to his knees, still staring at the blood on his hands.

"Wait young Shippou."  Kaede began, "There is powerful magic at play.  It could very well be that she was taken from us, not to the afterlife, but to another part of the forest."

"How could she have just vanished without any of us noticing?"  Sango slung the hirakotsu over her shoulder from where she had picked up from the ground.  Her voice was filled with disbelief, "I remember her helping me sit, and then--,"

"Nothing."  Miroku finished, sharing her bitter sentiments.  

"Inuyasha must have said something!  She was angry!"  Shippou immediately had his arms clasped around the hanyou's throat in a frantic stranglehold, "What did you say to her?"

"Angry, you say . . .?"  A new voice called.  There was silence as the group glanced around the clearing.  The flea cleared his throat from where he was perched on Inuyasha's shoulder.  No respect these days.

"Myouga!"  Sango cried, "Do you have any idea what happened?"

"Why of course, I saw the whole thing."  

"What happened?!"  Inuyasha demanded for what felt like the hundredth time that day.  

"She vanished."

They waited for him to finish, but he motioned that he was done speaking.  Instantly, he was between the hanyou's thumb and forefinger, being squeezed.  After the day he had had, Inuyasha was not in the mood to play guessing games with the bug.

"AND--?"  Inuyasha began for him, a nasty stare gracing his face.

"You . . . continued . . . to talk."  Myouga squeezed out from his grasp, "But I must say, that this is not the first time I've seen a young maiden disappear out of thin air."

"Are you insinuating that she's been taken to--?"  Kaede was cut off rather rudely.

"To an 'empty space' as you humans like to call it?  I believe so.  Rationally speaking, if Shippou was able to see a glimmer of her nearby it would be that she was still in this very same clearing, but in a different time and place."

The remaining members of the inu-tachi had blank stares on their faces.

Myouga sighed, "Think about it as a fluctuation in time and space, like how Kagome is able to travel back and forth to her time.  However, these pockets of empty space are linked by portals to each of the worlds-- memories of those who have traveled there, if you will--, and these portals, from what I've heard, have the ability to take in person by merely having them step in the wrong direction."

"How do we _get her out_?"  Inuyasha snarled, tired of the technical information.

"You don't," was the simple reply, "She must get out on her own."

Now, Inuyasha knew that Kagome wasn't a dull girl . . . but the prospect of her having to survive in some world that he had never seen was infuriating to say the least.  How dare the wench take so long to figure it out!  With all the fucking studying and spell books, she should have been out before they had noticed she was gone! 

"I remember my sister speaking of the empty places."  Kaede began, "She herself could never slip into one, but ancestors and other written accounts by priestesses had given her enough knowledge to satisfy her hunger to seek one out."

"Is this a priestess-only happenchance?" Miroku inquired, picking up Shippou, and placing him on his shoulder.  Both Myouga and Kaede nodded, though they weren't absolutely certain.

"So, in theory, she could be stuck in there forever?"

Silence, then an explosion:

"No!  Kagome would-!"

"She can get out!  I know-!"

"Fucking bitch better hurry up!"

"KAGOMEEEE!  Don't leaaaave meeee!"

Silence.

"Well, now that that's out of the way . . ." Myouga face faulted, "I can just--!" 

Inuyasha caught the flea between his fingers, "Oh no you don't!  You're not leaving until I figure out what the hell is going on!"  A sudden movement caught his eye, "You too, old woman!"

"Inuyasha," Kaede began calmly, "I have no answers to give.  I want to return to the village and search through the accounts to see if I can find something to help Kagome.  Until then, I suggest you all return with me."  The leader of the pack didn't even need a moment to consider her suggestion.  

"Like hell!  What if the wench comes back while we're gone?"  Inuyasha snapped, irritably, "And none of you better leave either, 'cause Kagome would never leave without you!"

"Inuyasha--," Kaede's voice was still calm.

"Don't 'Inuyasha' me!  Stop being so fucking condescending--!"  He snarled, out of his mind with anger. His amber eyes held a glint of red in them, forewarning any further scolding.  

"Calm down, you're being childish!"  Sango was aghast at his behavior, and Shippou clung to Miroku's neck in fright.  This wasn't the first time Kagome had up and disappeared, and they were upset too.  With what had happened with Kagome a few nights ago and even now . . . Sango had expected Inuyasha to have stuck more closely to them. And, at that moment, Inuyasha had placed himself against the world.  

Miroku seemed to be figuring out what was going through the hanyou's head before the other two.  He closed his eyes and took a deep breath to control the emotion in his voice, "Inuyasha, this is not your fault."  No matter how hard he tried, Miroku knew that his words would be useless until Kagome had said them herself.

Instinct was the first word that came to Sango's mind.  It was something her father had once said to her about most grouping youkai; instinct was their main survival method. So it was natural for Inuyasha to be upset over losing a member of their group . . . his instincts told him to protect them, as he had subconsciously placed himself as their leader.  To have his territory and pack threatened, and to have them rebel against his orders would only serve to infuriate him further.  It was no wonder that Shippou shook in fear:  His instincts were telling him to obey.

And Kagome . . . Kagome, whom Sango considered the closest to the hanyou, whom Inuyasha cared for above all, was not there to reassure him that everything was, and would be, all right in the end.  The demon exterminator had seen Inuyasha enraged by the mere mention of Kagome as Kouga's woman, but had brushed it off as normal youkai possessiveness and male testosterone.  But, what if . . . ?

Had it really changed over that short of a time span, though?  It seemed like only days ago that Inuyasha was lamenting the loss of Kikyou, promising to protect her.  From what she had discovered by her own merits and her now-missing friend, he had shown concern for Kagome only when her life was threaten.  And while Sango was nearly positive that Kagome also held a . . . special place in his heart, she had never figured for it to leave such a void inside of him  In her blind ignorance, Sango had completely missed the point where she should have seen the signs.  Having not been raised and taught about the emotions he was feeling, Inuyasha could only lash out in anger.  Even if he hadn't realized it, he had already made his final decision.  

Inuyasha was becoming an adult, but more importantly, the true leader of the pack of loved ones he had created.  Having it split up further would be devastating.

She berated herself for not seeing this sooner and looked to the ground in utter shame.

A tree slid to the ground just as quickly as Inuyasha's claws had slid through it.  He turned his back to them and said nothing.  

========

A gust of wind lifted her white sundress; a false sun warming her skin as she walked along the dirt path.  Running her hand along the stems of the tall flowers, she let her fingers glide over their petals and leaves with ginger curiosity.  

There were slight steps behind her, and her free hand was taken up by a smaller one.  They continued to walk, though their eyes could not discern an end to the path.

"Where are we?"  Kagome murmured.

"This is the field where I died," the little girl began, "It is my home now."

Kagome let out a sad sigh, "So I really am dead?"

"Not dead, never dead."  The girl whispered, "You're home.  You can stay with me forever, and they won't ever hurt you."

The priestess stopped as they came to a large patch of lavender.  The scent was an instant reminder of the perfume of her mother, and suddenly, she was fighting tears again.  The flowers didn't smell nearly as beautiful as her mother had.

"This is not my home," Kagome corrected sternly, "My home is with my Mama, and Souta, and Gramps."

"Home, home, I remember

As the man came down the path

On that cold day in November . . .

The girl sang softly, leaning into the flowers to inhale their scent.

"He said to come with him,

And his smile I remember,

Even as my sight became dim . . ."

"What is your name?"  Kagome asked, turning towards her.

"I don't have one. . ."

"Didn't your mother call you anything?  Or your father?"  When she received no response, Kagome pressed further, "What about your friends?"

"_He_ called me Emiko of the moon

He said he he'd never leave my side,

Yet we were torn apart so soon . . ."

Kagome's eyes softened and the girl stopped her song, her small voice whispering, "There is no moon in my sky."

They continued walking in silence, hand in hand.  This girl, no more than seven or eight . . . she had all ready lived a life that carried her into insanity.  The aura that surrounded the girl was of a cool blue, the sparks of innocence that coursed through it gave Kagome a strange feeling of apprehension and curiosity.

"He's angry, you know."  

"Who?"  Kagome turned her head to look down at her.

"He doesn't like his pack broken and his mate stolen."  The little girl stuck out her hand to catch a wisp of growth between her small fingers.  The white dress she wore-- an exact copy of the one the elder girl had on-- fluttered gracefully at the movement.  

"Inuyasha . . .?"  Kagome's eyes widen considerably.  So had he finally noticed she was gone?  The little girl turned her head to the side, her glossy black hair falling over her shoulders and spilling down her back.

"Can't you feel his sorrow, Kagome?  When you think about him, how does it feel in your heart?"  

Kagome closed her eyes just as another breeze lifted her bangs.    When she thought about him she felt . . .

Hurt. 

Anger. 

. . . betrayal?

She clenched her hand over her heart as the immense pain swept over her.  The girl, Emiko as she had called herself, did not look fazed.

"Kagome, you're a priestess, are you not?  You've always been able to pick up on the emotions of others, but never on a conscious level.  Always it's been, 'he might be angry because I'm leaving' when you should have realized, 'he _is angry.'  You shouldn't have needed a reason to know how he felt."_

Kagome stumbled over her next few thoughts, processing the knowledge.  What Emiko was saying was true on some remote level, but wasn't emotional empathy something that most people experienced?

"Kikyou was unable to do this, she chose to pity her own solitude rather than seek out what others felt."  The little girl began, taking Kagome's hand again, "She was not chosen.  Not strong enough."  

"That's impossible!" Kagome exclaimed, "She was renowned for magic and her skill!"

"And yet, you are here and she is not." A pause. "She is dead, and you are not."

A broad smile broke out onto Kagome's face; so she wasn't in the afterlife after all!  She felt like dancing, or running wild through the fields of flowers, laughing and screaming for joy.

"Though I cannot see it, my heart tells me that you have beautiful smile."

Smile gone, insert frown.

"What do you--?"  Kagome was startled.  She was looking at her from beneath her dark bangs, wasn't she?  

"My sight is limited to the future and the past, the powers I used to have.  My sense of the present has been robbed.  I feel, I hear, but I cannot see."  She took her free hand and raised her bangs.  Kagome tried to stifle her shocked gasp, but could not manage to do so.

Instead of where two eyes would reside, was a blank patch of skin.  It was as though there were no eyes to begin with, or was a natural birth defect.  

The bangs fell back down across her face, and Kagome was instantly aware of the girl's shame and self reproach.  How cruel, how horrible for this girl!  To reside here with only flowers, no sight, and no companionship.

"This is the field where I died."  

Kagome began to cry.

"Emiko," She held out her hand to the girl again, "Emiko, will you be my friend?"

"Kagome . . ." The girl seemed to overflow with joy, "Even after I have taken you away, you still want to be my friend?"

"It's so hard to be alone.  I'll protect you!  You'll never have to feel sad or lonely again."  Kagome's tears hit the ground, and from them rose a pure white flower.  A long span of quiet passed between them before they began to walk again.  A new feeling of restlessness swiftly passed through Kagome, leaving her perplexed.

"Your family is in danger."

Kagome let out a startled, "What?!"

"I did not realize that you would not be able to pick up premonitions here.  Out in the forest I had tried to warn you about the youkai, I sent you my sight as a gift for you to grow with."

"What's happening to my family?"  Kagome demanded.  Her heart raced.  She tried calming her heart and focusing her mind on them.  Souta was asleep, her mother calm, her grandfather also at rest--

--and then, suddenly, there was a flash of pain followed by another, and another, until Kagome was forced onto her knees with the sheer volume of pain that streamed through her chest.  A knife?  No, it was a sword.  In her head she could hear the noise it made, see the blood trickling down the blade . . .

Oh _no_ . . . 

"I cannot keep you here, can I?"  The girl whispered dejected, "I brought you here to keep you safe, but you cannot stay."

"I'm so sorry," Kagome whispered, "I promise I'll always be here to make you happy, but there are others that I have to protect too!"

The girl nodded, "I understand.  I was wrong to bring you here so soon, and like this.  I'll let you go, but listen to me:  Over the next few days your body will change.  It won't be outward, but inward toward your soul.  Don't be afraid.  I'll be here for you."

Kagome nodded, squeezing the little girls' hand in gratitude.

"Follow this path until you reach the white tulips.  There's a door in the ground that will lead you home, to your time."

"Thank you!"  Kagome said breathless.  She began to sprint toward the flowers, her bare feet slapping the ground.  Sliding carefully between the tulips, she lifted metal handle of a large wooden trap door.  

"Wait, Kagome!"  Emiko's voice stopped her, "One more thing:  Don't trust the man with eyes like the sea and the shell of a tortoise, for he will lead you to a malicious crane."

Not sure of what she meant, Kagome could only nod and leap into the darkness, letting it absorb her figure.

A sudden draft swept over the valley, and the flowers seemed to shudder at its icy sinews.  

"Good bye . . . Ane-ue . . ." Emiko whispered, disappearing back into the wind, her work far from done.

========

When Kagome opened her eyes, she was in the well house, standing next to the fault of most of her troubles.  Leaning heavily on the well's rim, she panted for air only for a moment.  If what Emiko said was true, then it meant she only had moments to spare before--

Kagome threw open the doors just in time to see the wicked glint of a sliver blade come down upon her mother's prone form.

She screamed.

========

Yare, yare.  Comments are always appreciated, but criticism is much loved.

3 Ophe 2003


	4. Part 3: The Encounter

Disclaimer Janx:  Will someone buy me Inuyasha for my birthday? :D

Quick Note:  Thank you for all the kind reviews! 3 I hope you enjoy the chapter.  To get the full effect of this chapter, you should listen to Radiohead's "Hail to the Thief." Great album :*(

Warning!  This chapter (as well as the previous ones and the ones soon to follow) contains some really vulgar language, violence, and gore.  It's nothing out of character, but it might be offensive if you're a Church-goin' folk.

Like always, thank you goes out to my precious Jusifina, whom I have tortured with this fic above all others. :o  Poor thing . . . 

**A Thousand Years**

(Part 3: The Encounter)

By Mourning Ophelia

========

Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.

-I CORINTHIANS 15:51

========

A swift amendment in the direction of the wind finally managed to rouse him from his agitated sleep.  He raised slowly, a feral beauty in the heavy moonlight, eyes scrutinizing the approaching danger.  A sword was instantly by his side, claws gripping the hilt in a vice-like hold.  A hint of a familiar scent brushed by, passing over him into the valley below.  When it was evident that the wind youkai had no business with him, he laid back down on the rough grass, uncaused.

It wasn't particularly warm, and all though temperature did little to affect his moods, he felt a certain strain of dissatisfaction stretch across his chest.  His soul had been restless the past few weeks; yet the source of the discomfort remained masked, and he was left to sort through his tumultuous sea of contemplation.  They were broken trains of thought, or past memories that could not be pieced together to form a rational solution to the puzzle that was inhibiting him.  Angrily, he had tried forcing them from his mind-- after all, such a superior figure could not be bothered with such trivial matters-- but, they remained.

And, in passing moments like these, he truly felt as though they always would.

The times had begun to change; where he could have once strolled calmly and undisturbed through his woods, he now found himself being crowded out by insolent and uneducated men and beasts.  The respect that previous rulers had received began to slowly dissipate from under his ever-tightening grasp.  Those he had grown up around had begun their final years and would soon pass on from a stage of elder-hood to a much deserved glory.  And she, like most others that had come and departed in his life, was finally gone as well.

Originally, she had begun as a test to measure the true power of the weapon his father had left for him.  He had intended to bring her to an isolated spot of the woods and leave her.  After all, she was a pest, a talkative heap of rubbish . . . nothing more.  Never was there a moment where she gave him a single gift, though he had constantly showered her with protection and life.  If anything, she had evolved into a little pet for him to keep.  The way she would run through the fields wildly with brush and leaves in her hair, and dirt on her kimono reminded him of something mild and carefree.  Hadn't situations become lighter with her constant confusion regarding the ways of the world?  But, with the turnabout that had occurred, and his decision to have her stay by his side . . . the situation had yet again begun to morph into something drastically darker.

How many times had she been used against him?

How many times had that ever persistent weakness been played upon?

Human emotions were weak, defined only by the heart, and never the mind.  His foolish half brother often exhibited his human side, demonstrating how truly moronic mankind had become.  Such impulsive anger . . . quick to battle, slow to think.  This was not the way of the inu-youkai.  Having not been raised in the Western Lands, Inuyasha had been neglected in his training to fully harness what powers his non-human side gave him.  The idiot would fumble over his frantic trials to grasp the call of the wild, and would stumble to his, as well as the rest of the world's, death.  His half brother had become dangerous in his state of ignorance.

But, the girl . . .    

Once the woods began to whisper haunting truths about him, the girl was forced back into the hands of those who had originally slain her.  Oh, how she had cried as though her heart had been ripped from her chest!  A sadistic pleasure had crept into his veins, and a nasty look into her eyes immediately silenced her.  He could still remember how the tears had welled up in her eyes and the way her dark hair swayed back and forth as she walked towards the nearest home.  And then, there was that one last forgiving smile.  She would always trust him to return and take care of her.  But this time, she was mistaken.

Now he was free, though he could never allow such a twisted emotion as happiness play upon his face to show his true elation.  His small traveling group had been disbanded in a last attempt to salvage the old ways of the world.  Lords had no use for packs; they became a hindrance and were only good as meals when food became short. He, himself, had become pathetic: Weak-willed, lacking skill, and frail-hearted. How could he have kept such weaklings by his side for so long-- A _human girl included-- when that had been the very thing he had resented about this father?  But, no more would this occur.  He was going change the world, starting with the slaughter of all those that dared cross into his precious territory with malevolent intent. _

A new source of strength coursed through his lithe body, and his wildly pacing thoughts converged into one final memorandum: He would restore his father's honor.  Even if it took the rest of his years to achieve, the ways of the Old World would be restored.

From his position overlooking his vast and unmarred domain, the mighty demon lord of the West felt as though he could see forever.

========

The aforementioned wind youkai was making good time.

Her nose cringed upon seeing the sight of Sesshoumaru below, but she could not stop to fully take in his situation.  Something struck her as peculiar though; where was the little girl and shriveled green youkai?  Kagura was tempted to retrace her steps in order to investigate, but pouted instead.  And 'pitiful' had been such a lovely complex on him!  (As you could imagine, this observation had definitely been the highlight of her rather uneventful day of harsh orders.)  Letting out a martyred sigh, she continued on her course.

'_Fucking Naraku better appreciate this!' She snarled mentally, wrinkling her nose._

 The bundle in her arms remained solidly plastered to her chest as she dropped into the valley of tall grass.  As Kagura blitzed through, she left trail of misshapen growth behind her.  It had been two days of straight travel across the country and investigative work, which, by the way, had never been a particular strength of hers, before finding what she had been looking for.  Unfortunately, its previous owner had not been nearly as excited as she had been to have it come into possession.

But what did it matter?  He was fish food at the bottom of the ocean, shredded by none other than herself, and the box was hers.

Suddenly, her arrogant smile dropped off her face, and she slowed to a stop in the middle of the field.  The force of the wind she had created blew past her, whipping her hair and clothing around her form like furious angels.

. . . Something was wrong.

Kagura could not put her finger on it, nor could she have possibly understood the weight of it all at that point in time.  In the background countless youkai began to wail and howl, experiencing similar feelings of horror and instantaneous bloodlust.  

"What the _hell?_"  She swore, scanning the horizon.   It wasn't a full moon, so there was no apparently excuse for such primal behavior.  Something was interfering in the back of her mind.  Normally, she would have passed these feelings off as paranoia instilled by being around Naraku for so long . . . but, if there was any way to describe the lurking presence she felt, she might not have so uneasy.  Kagura was lost in deep pool of thoughtless wander.  She closed her eyes and inhaled the night air deeply, letting off a yowl of her own.

It was ancient, dark, mysterious . . .

It was welcoming, tantalizing, powerful . . .

A small clattering sound brought her back into focus, and she nearly jumped.  Glancing down at her shaking hands in wonder, she watched them rattle the primordial box.  The red silk that had been wrapped around it slid off silently onto the ground below.  The smooth dark wood finish glinted cruelly in the serious moonlight, and she was transfixed.  Her overwhelming desire to open it, even if just to peek at its contents, moved her fingers involuntary over the engraved circles on the lid to the simple latch at the front.  

But then Naraku was in the back of her mind, questioning her ever wavering loyalty without ever having to say a word.  Kagura shook her previous lunacy off with an indignant shrug, suddenly ashamed of herself for acting in such an uncivilized manner.

So maybe he and the box did have something to do with the shady overtone of the night, and if so, whatever the hell was in it would remain so until it reached his hands.  If it had been what had caused the youkai to become alarmed, then there was probably good reason for her not to inspect what it contained. Her hands clenched tightly around the bundle as she wrapped it back into the red silk.  

'_Fucking Naraku' Her mind repeated again as she picked up speed in the direction of his fortress, '__better appreciate this!'  _

==========

It was one of those rare occurrences that didn't happen often, and yet when they came, were monumental in their own right:

Inuyasha fell out of his tree.  

On his own.

Sango shrieked girlishly, having received the blunt of his fall on her sleeping form, and instantly pounded her fist into his face.  Inuyasha sputtered his apology, flaming cheeks hidden by the shallow night.  

"My congratulations," Miroku began behind him, "You have gone where no man has yet to feel.  As Kagome would say, 'you have beaten me to the punch'."  A rich laugh soon followed after.

"Houshi-sama!"  Sango nearly shrieked, pulling her bedding around her tightly, terribly embarrassed.  Shippou yawned from where he had been curled up beside her.  She was no Kagome . . . but she was a nice, warm substitute. 

"What's all the racket for?"  He whined, "I'm trying to sleep!"

"I do believe that Inuyasha fell out of the tree!"  Miroku smiled brightly at his friend, "And robbed Sango of her chaste, virginal-!"

"_MONK._"  Inuyasha growled, motioning with his claws which body parts he would be missing when he awoke the next morning if he continued the conversation.  Miroku, in one of his wiser moments, let the conversation fall with a swift wink to Sango.  

"I'm going back to sleep now!  Try not to fall again!"  She grumbled angrily, though traces of mortification were still evident in her tone.

Inuyasha, who was currently trying to salvage some of his dignity, leapt back into his tree with ease.  He resisted the urge to punch himself in the face for being stupid enough to fall out of a tree while sleeping.  

_'Was it because of . . . ?'  He thought, trying to figure out what had happened to his sense of equilibrium in so short of time._

A quick glance to the almost full moon proved his theory. Humans obviously didn't have the balance of youkai.  When his changing was only a few days away, he sometimes experienced random moments of clumsiness.  Nothing too bad, but he always ran the risk of making an ass out of himself in front his friends.  Speaking of friends .  . .

This time, he did punch himself in the face.  

_'Stupid! Stupid! You fucking moron!  You actually fell asleep!'_

What if Kagome had shown up and then had been taken before he opened his eyes?  Forcing himself to calm down, he settled on studier (and wider, though he would never admit it to himself) branch.  Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale, inhale--

"Fuck.  Fuck.  Fuck. _FUCK._"  He snarled between his teeth.  Shippou moaned a, "SHUT UP!" before turning the other direction and drifting back off.

It was warm for a fall night, and he was still anticipating the changing of the leaves.  During the season, the air became crisper, and it was easier to pick of the different scents that filled the air -- both good and bad.  Every single star was visibly brilliant, and on nights such as that, he didn't mind being human nearly as much.

He mentally steeled his mind awake, only shutting his eyes to blink for seconds, and then flashing open again.  Inuyasha could go days before truly needing rest.  In fact, he could wait for the moment until the day he died.  A hollow place inside his breast told him that he needed to be looking harder for her, but his mind told him to stay put in case she returned.  In a matter of one day, he had lost track of her twice; if the bitch didn't shape up and stay with the group, he would be the one introducing her to tied-to-a-tree lifestyle.  An almost wistful smile crossed his face, though his brows were still furrowed in concern.

For the past few years, he had put more effort into trying to figure out what his thoughts were telling him to believe and feel about things.  Growing up with a human mother who had only been with him for a few years gave him little to no insight on how youkai carried on their lives.  Some of the things came naturally, such as swimming and hunting, but his feelings were a wholly different story.  Kikyou, who had taught him to . . . love?  Maybe love was too strong of a word.  What was love when it could be torn apart so easily?  Experiences with prejudice and isolation from the human and youkai worlds had taught him that it was much easier to be arrogant and haughty, rather than sentimental and weepy.  There was no love in the struggle to endure.

The strong survived to grow old and die, but the weak became immortalized young, and were left to pass on idiotically as food for the strong.  

This was the single truth of his life. 

His thoughts broke as he picked up a distant cry, his right ear twitching in its direction.  The clamor soon became like an avalanche, growing larger and closer as it spread throughout the countryside.  Every youkai came alive with the new sense of movement and gloom in the air.  

"I said _be quiet_!"  Shippou yelled again, leaping out from under Sango's sleeping pad in an agitated frenzy.

"Shippou . . ." Sango's own sentence was cut off by a yawn, "None of us are--?"

"Wait."  Inuyasha commanded, holding up a hand as he leapt down from the tree.  He tilted his head in the direction that the wind was carrying the sound from.  It was still too distant for the humans to hear.

"Inuyasha . . ." Shippou looked a little more than frightened, "What's going on?  What are they crying about?"  A wave of dread washed over the kitsune as he affixed himself tightly to Inuyasha's leg.  He didn't understand what was happening inside of him, either.

"What's going on?"  Miroku asked his silent friends, catching the sound for himself, "It sounds like they're being slaughtered!"

"It's horrible!  _Horrible!"  Shippou cried, burying his face into Inuyasha's pants.  A drop of blood splattered onto his auburn hair, causing him to look up sharply.  His eyes widened impossibly larger at the sight above him: The hanyou had his fists clenched so tightly that his claws dug viciously into his skin, sending streams of blood to the ground.  Inuyasha's ears were flattened against his skull tightly, desperate to block out the sounds._

"Can you understand any of it?"  Sango inquired, moving to stand next to the hanyou.  Concern was evident on her face, though she was oblivious to the warning signs he was giving her.  

_'Get away, wench!'  His mind screamed as his fists shook, _'Get away from me before I--!"__

Inuyasha didn't say a word; but, then again, he didn't have to.

Silence snapped over the land like a whip, and not even the bugs of the forest dared to chirp. He let out the breath that he had been holding, and wiped the blood from his palms onto his pants.  Inuyasha _had understood part of what they were saying, though the words were boggled with gibberish.  It was more of __feeling they were expressing, rather than a thought.  He sighed and closed his eyes again, knowing that they would never be satisfied with such a vague answer.  How could he tell them that only a moment ago, he desired nothing more than to rip them apart and lick their blood from his claws triumphantly?_

He shuddered, placing a claming hand on Shippou's quivering forehead.  For a moment, he wondered what the kitsune had recognized it as.  Was he too young to understand the true nature of a demon's aching for blood?

"I want Kagome . . ." Shippou nearly sobbed, his face still buried against Inuyasha's leg, "I want _Kagome_!"  Miroku exchanged a glance with Sango.  She had begun to idly wring her hands, glancing around carefully.  

"Stop--!" Inuyasha began his command harsher than he attended and quickly began again in a tone that was softer, "Stop whining, brat.  It won't make her come back any faster!"  In an almost fatherly way, Inuyasha picked the kitsune and let him cling to his neck.

"Calm down.  I won't let anything happen." He whispered as he patted his head reassuringly.  What little guidance Inuyasha had himself . . . he would make sure that Shippou wouldn't grow up the same way he had: alone and afraid.

"I hope Kirara's alright . . ." Sango muttered, glancing up to the moon.  Inuyasha instantly froze as his mind pieced it together: Kirara.  In the village.  Suffering bloodlust.

"Stay here!"  He shouted to Sango and Miroku as he began his sprint back to the village, "Wait for Kagome!"  

As they watched his retreating form, Sango and Miroku couldn't help but sigh.

"Do you think we'll ever have the chance to figure out what's going on?"  Sango asked her friend softly, rubbing her face.

Miroku put a chaste arm around her shoulder and drew her close, "I have no doubt in my mind, Sango."  A light, pretty blush crossed her features at their closeness.  Miroku smiled charmingly, and led her back over to their sleeping mats.  Sango eyed him dangerously, mistaking what he was proposing. But, as he sat down across his mat and waited for her to sit on hers, she couldn't help but feel a little bit less helpless.

Somehow, Miroku found it within himself to be decent-- if even for just that night.  Placing his staff down as he slid under the top layer, he closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath.  

"Miroku," Sango's voice was almost inaudibly soft.

"Yes, Sango?"  Miroku turned his head to face her, taking in her sad eyes and tired face.

"Promise me that you won't leave me."

Miroku raised his eyebrow, and let a smile swallow his face up.  So, Sango did desire him after all!  She, the most special girl of all, would be the one to birth his children, and be with him forever! A parade of youkai began marching around in his gut, as he pulled his bag closer to her slight form. Desperately trying to mask the giddy expression that had crashed onto his face, he smiled encouragingly at her. She knew that with that simple gesture, he had secured his promise . . . even if he had exaggerated the situation just a tad bit too much.

==========

Inuyasha's heart was thundering in his chest as Shippou's grip on him increased.

"What's going on?" Shippou ducked as his head was nearly impaled by a tree branch.

"Listen, kid," Inuyasha began, completely unsure of how to finish, "Uh . . ."  

'_Oh man,' He thought, '__this would be so much easier if I knew what the hell was happening.'_

"Why were those youkai crying?"  Shippou whispered.

"Because they wanted to kill something."  Inuyasha blurted out unsympathetically, as they bounded out of the forest.  He winced at his words at the roughness of the words; there was definitely some work needed in the guidance department. 

The path was familiar now, almost second nature.  How many times had he traveled it with Kagome?  Hundreds?  Thousands?  The muscles in his body visibly tensed at the thought of her. Of course he was angry that he had to leave from his watch, but, for the time being, the safety of the villagers-- Inuyasha lurched to a stop, his heart dropping into the pits of his stomach.

"But wh--?!"  Shippou's question died on his lips as he finally caught whiff of the village.  "Oh no . . ."

A draft of wind kicked up bits and pieces of what remained of the homes.  The smoke carried over the scene, reflecting brightly in the moon's light.  Any fire that had been previously lighted was now extinguished.  From above came small flakes of what seemed to be snow, but as Shippou stuck out a small hand and caught a flurry, he realized it was no snow at all.  It was ash.

Both jumped as the hut closest to them collapsed into a heap of broken structure.  Inuyasha carefully set Shippou down in mute horror, his mind unable to process the scene in front of him.  

"Hello?"  Shippou called out, rushing forward into the village, "Hello?  Is anyone there?"

The hanyou began to lift different pieces of debris, fearing what might lie underneath them.  The scent of blood was everywhere, and yet, it was no where to be found.  Truth be told, he had been expected a scene of mass carnage with bodies strewn around like daisies in a field. And, as he began to fling wood behind him, digging for survivors, Inuyasha noticed the startling trend of there _being_no survivors.  However, what was even more frustrating was the fact that there was no one-- dead or alive-- that he could distinguish.  There were no bodies; no blood . . . only ash and heaps of former lives scattered around.  Shippou was only a few yards ahead of him, scampering in and out of the remains of the homes desperately.

"Where _is_ everybody?" He called back to Inuyasha, poking his head up from the tunnel he had dug for himself.  Twisting his head around to get a better view of his friend, Shippou did a double take.  Kneeling down next to a burnt-out frame, Inuyasha was clutching something in his hand desperately, smelling it, inspecting it, and rubbing it against his face.  Now that his curiosity was aroused, Shippou dashed towards the hanyou agilely, calling out his name.  

It was a straw doll.  Most of the little kids in the village had had one after Kagome taught them how to make them.  The one Inuyasha held in his hands was burnt and its clothing had twisted around its hollow framework.  It wasn't a special one, nor was it one that Kagome had made as an example.  But, judging by the emotions that flashed like thunderstorms across his face, Inuyasha was deeply moved by it.

"Where are they . . .?" Inuyasha echoed.  Surely Kirara wouldn't have eaten them . . .?  No, he quickly corrected himself; the youkai was not capable of devouring that many people alone.  In their absence, the village must have been attacked by numerous hordes of youkai, all searching for prey.  

In their absence . . .

He placed the doll down gingerly, setting it warily against the remains of the home so it was in a sitting position.  Inuyasha blinked, setting a hard expression on his face, "It must be Naraku's work.  This is too similar to what happened to the demon exterminator village."

"But . . ." Shippou began to protest, but stopped, not wanting to upset the hanyou further.  In a matter of a day, Kagome and his home were taken from him.  He could not run and play with the village kids anymore.  He could not haunt Kaede until she showed him her different herbs.  He could not change shapes to tease Kagome.  All he could do now was cry.

"Shippou," Inuyasha held out his hand to the kitsune, but did not look at his face, "We need to try to find Kirara."  Maybe the youkai would be able to reveal some secrets as to the whereabouts of villagers.  If they had somehow escaped their deaths, then it was likely the fire cat youkai would be able to lead them to the others.

The young youkai sniffed and wiped his eyes.  Taking Inuyasha's larger hand in his own, he pointed in the direction of the well and suggested, "We should start from there and work our way back.  The smell of blood is the strongest from over there."  

A slight smirk crossed Inuyasha's face; so the kid was learning after all.

They walked in silence, though Shippou would have preferred some noise to highlight the dismal backdrop of the evening light.  The smell of blood was almost nauseating as they approached the well, and they could hardly pick of the different scents of humans over it.  The well itself stood alone in the silent clearing; the moon was large as it slowly sunk down behind it.  

"Look!" Shippou called, excited, "It's Kirara!"  Breaking his death-like grip on the hanyou's hand, he rushed forward towards where the youkai was rubbing itself against the side of the well.  Kirara wasn't transformed, but Inuyasha still approached it with caution.  Even _he_ still had lingering thoughts of bloodlust in his mind, clawing for attention.

Shippou picked up the youkai and looked it in the face, "Have you been bad tonight, Kirara?" He asked seriously-- like a private investigator would question a witness, "You need to show us where all the people are now."

Kirara mewed innocently and a fluffy tail was swashed.

Inuyasha's sensitive nose twitched as he leaned over the well's edge, looking in.  Funny, he could still smell her presence, almost as if she had been there only moments ago . . .

"Is that the voice of young Shippou, I hear?"  A voice called from the tree above them.

"Kaede?!"  Shippou dropped Kirara on the ground instantly.  Even Inuyasha was startled by her sudden appearance, "Everyone?"

"Well, I'll be damned . . ." Inuyasha began in an admirable tone, watching as the villagers dropped out of the trees one by one.  He moved to help Kaede and some of the younger children down.  Shippou rushed around breathlessly, weaving in and out of people and inspecting their wounds.  Inuyasha let out a sincere sigh of relief as Kaede brushed the drying leaves off of her.

"Did Kirara attack the village?" He inquired, leaning almost arrogantly against the tree.

The old woman looked up, surprised, "How did you--?"

"Everyone felt it." Shippou's lip began to quiver at the memory, "It was really scary!"

To her credit, the old woman took the news in stride.  "I see, so magic was at work?"  Inuyasha shrugged, watching a few wounded men seek out their wives and children.  A few even began to limp back in the direction of the village.

"Why did you all think to come out here?  Kirara can climb trees, you know."  Inuyasha pointed out the detail with a frown.

"It was very sudden, but, I received a . . . premonition, if you will, of terrible slaughter.  I forced everyone out into the woods just before the youkai began to rush out of them.  I am sure the village no longer exists, am I correct?"

"Just scrap."  Inuyasha blew the bangs from his eyes impatiently, ready to return to Sango, Miroku, and his nice steady tree branch.  

"I am also guessing Kagome reappeared if you have left your position?" His visible wince was evidence that she had not.  A wise, but grateful, smile spread across her wrinkled face.  Perhaps, he really was the selfless person Kikyou had always claimed him to be.  Instead of pressing him for further answers she began to round up the villagers to discuss what to do next.  Their conversation satisfied the balance of silence, and the forest seemed to come alive again.

"We're going back now--!" Inuyasha swung his head in the direction of the Kitsune, "Shippou?"

Instead of being with the villagers like before, Shippou was precariously balanced over the ledge of the well, his nose rapidly taking in the smell.  Inuyasha bounded over, ready to catch him before he fell, "Hey brat, we're leaving now!"

"This is where the blood smell is coming from."  Shippou proclaimed, sitting back in a more safe position, "What does that mean?"

Leaning over the ledge again, Inuyasha couldn't help but notice that the kitsune was right.  The scent was burning to take in, but it was mingled with something else that struck a deep tremor within him.  His grip on the ledge increased.

How could the scent of Kagome's family reach all the way to the past?

"Shippou, go back and tell Miroku and Sango to return with the villagers for protection."

"Where are you going?"  Shippou's eyes were wide.

"To see Kagome."  And with that, Inuyasha leapt in.

==========

Her scream seemed to have caught the attacker off guard.  

But, it was only for a moment, and in the next, her mother was dead.  

They say that you can feel your heart break.  It's a clean cut; simple but painful, fast but furious.  In Kagome's case, she could hear it, feel it, taste it as it slowly crumbled into the pit of her stomach.  She couldn't move, couldn't breath.  She just ran towards the attacker, desperate to get him away from her mother.  It was foolish and futile, she had no weapons and more importantly, no time left.  

All she had was her anger and her pain . . . but even they left her with nothing.  The attacker, shrouded in simple black ninja garb merely laughed as he pushed her back into a pool of her own mother's blood.  His sword was raised above his head, poised to finish the job. 

"What a pretty little girl," His voice was surprisingly heavy for his lithe form, "But you would look so much better soaked in blood!"  Before she could find the strength to move, the sword was cutting the air down to her heart.  Kagome closed her eyes, praying to wake up from her nightmare.

When she opened them, Kagome was very aware of the fact that she was still alive.  Suspended just above her heart was the sword, though its master merely stared down at her.  His eyes were masked by the shadow of his head wrapping. 

"But I want to lick her blood from my blade!"  He was whispering to the air heatedly, almost as if another person was standing next to him, "I want to watch her slowly bleed to death . . . No, you are right, master."  

The Well, Kagome's mind spun, she could escape to the Well.  But what about Souta and Gramps . . .? She couldn't leave them alone with the madman, but she couldn't help them by herself.  If she brought Inuyasha back, he'd be able to save them. Kagome began to sit up in an attempt to steal away.  A foot came crashing back down upon her, throwing her completely backwards to knock her head against the concrete and lose the air in her lungs.  

"I never said you could move, bitch.  Just wait, you'll be dead soon enough."  His graceful exit was silhouetted by the moon's heavy light as he bounded from roof top to roof top.  There was no pattering of feet to even indicated the direction he had gone in.

She would never be sure how long she lay in her mother's pooling blood, but Kagome would always remember its warmth as it slowly crept through the thin cotton of her school uniform.  For days, it would be the only thing she would smell.  In every drink and in every piece of food, its taste would be lingering there.  

She would be forever haunted by the open-eyed stare that now bore into her without mercy.  Her mother's chest did not rise or fall, her eyes did not blink, and Kagome did not have to be a doctor to know that she could not be saved.

With a muffled scream, Kagome forced herself to get off of the ground.  Souta.  Grandpa.  Where were they?  She stumbled into the house, tripping over the new groceries her mother had brought home for them only minutes before.  She slammed her elbow onto the kitchen counter, and tried to force down the tears that were clouding her vision.  

'Calm down, Kagome!'  She yelled at herself mentally, 'Focus!'

She was out of breath by the time she reached the top of the stairs, but she still couldn't center her eyes.

"Souta!"  She hollered, her voice raw, "Granpa!  Where--?!"

Souta was in his room, where he should have been.  From her position in the doorway, a triangle light splayed across his sleeping form.  Kagome leaned against the doorway and let out a heavy sigh of relief, almost crying then and there out of sheer happiness.

"Souta," She called from the doorway, "Where is Grandpa?"

Kagome waited moments before stepping into his room and calling again, "Souta?"  Even if he had woken up at that moment, she didn't have any idea what she would tell him.  How _could you tell a little boy that his mother was gone forever?  How could _she_ handle telling it to him?_

Another step.

"Souta?  Wake up!"

She reached his bedside and shook him slightly.  The hallway light shadowed his face from her, but she watched it as it lolled to the side, almost unnaturally.  

'Please, please, please . . .' Her mind begged, 'Please, God, please . . .'

A shaking hand reached for the lamp on his nightstand.  Her fingers wrapping around the switch in a vice-like grip.  She closed her eyes, and flipped it on.

If anyone had been alive in the house in that moment, they would have been woken by her blood-curdling scream. 

"Nooooooo . . ." she moaned, falling against his bedside and sliding down, "Noooooo!"  Kagome's sobbing was deep, breathless.  With two hands pressed firmly against her mouth, she leaned her head against the nightstand.  Tears were streaking down her face vigorously.  It felt as though her entire being had been ripped from her body in that instant.  She didn't want to have her heart crushed again finding another decapitated body, so she didn't move to find her grandfather.  There was not an ounce of hope left inside of her.  Kagome suddenly felt very naked, scared, and alone.

She didn't want to get up; she wanted to die with them.  

'I need to call the police.  Yes, I need to call the police.  Call the police.'  Her mind began to work, but the rest of her body had ceased to function.  Phone.  Phone. She needed to get to a phone.  Trying to stand up again was a mistake, though.  Kagome instantly fell back onto the bed and upset the body, exciting more tears and shrieking.  

'Move, Kagome, MOVE!' Her mind was screaming.  And, she tried; using her upper body strength, Kagome managed to crawl across his room and out into the bright hall again.  There was a phone there, about ten feet away.  If she could hit a flying youkai with a single arrow, then she could make it.  

The phone was slick in her blood-spattered hands, and she nearly dropped it.  Leaning back against the wall, she knew to dial the number that had been drilled into her head since she was a little girl.  It was in the back of her mind, but she couldn't find it with what her brain was trying to process.  She pulled the phone cradle down by the cord, and it came crashing down next to her.  The emergency number was on a sticker her mother had placed there years and years ago. Kagome dialed, let it ring, and waited. 

"Hello, what is your emergency?"

Kagome couldn't even find her voice.

==========

"Damn, Bill," Policeman John Clarke began, turning his head towards his partner, "This is what I call a _massacre_."  He let a drop of cigarette ash flutter to the ground as he surveyed the body bags in front of him.

"The girl still won't talk.  She refuses to move."  Bill Marcks shook his head sadly, "They had to pry phone from her hands."

"Not surprising.  How would you like to come home and find your entire family gone?"

"Where's the father?" 

"Deceased, died years ago of lung cancer."  John ironically panned as he lit another cigarette, and snubbed his previous one out with his heavy black boot.  

"Not just the entire family, but the entire _block_."  Both men turned to see one of many criminalists that had been crawling around the place.  She was a tall woman with blonde hair and brown eyes-- most likely imported from the States.  Seeing their incredulous stares she continued, "Oh yeah, you heard me right.  Your boys began knocking on doors for witness reports and the bodies have been piling up."

The partners exchanged a worried look, "The girl is the only witness then?"  Bill motioned for one of the nearby cops to come over, "Are there any suspects or evidence yet?"

"Just evidence, sir." The young man replied, "The forensic unit is packing up its criminalists with what they could find.  They're moving down the block."

"Good, thank you."  By the time Bill had turned around, the blonde woman was gone.

"It's going to be a _long_ night, isn't it?" John snubbed out his cigarette and motioned for the other man to follow him, "We need to talk to the girl.  Has she been identified yet?"

"Higurashi Kagome is her name, according to the papers in the school bag we found."

"Looks like they were packing for a long trip." John commented as they stepped over the spilled bags of groceries, keeping it in mind.  It was a nice house, typical for those living with a shrine.  Laying about were different markers and tags used to categorize the evidence.  They followed the trail of policemen and emergency crews up the stairs to where the girl, Kagome, sat in the hall.

Bill shooed away the paramedic that was checking her for any injuries, and knelt down next to her, "Hello Kagome, my name is Officer Clarke, and this is my partner Officer Marcks."  He paused, seeing if he had caught her attention or not.  

"Hello."  She responded very softly, finally revealing her true age.  

'Damn, this girl isn't even a young woman yet.  Seventeen at the most.'  He had an own daughter only a few years younger.  The blood that was on her clothing . . . he forced himself to calm his stress.  

"Kagome, do you mind if we ask you a few questions?" Bill sat down across the hall from her, "We could bring you in the police station if you'd feel safer talking there."

"No," She responded softly once again, "I can't leave.  Someone is coming to get me."

"A relative?"  John inquired, still worried for her safety.

She didn't respond.

"Did you see what happened?"  Bill asked, touching her shoulder softly.  Kagome winced at the contact, and he instantly removed his hand.  She could smell the smoke on the other man's breath, and tried to breathe in through her mouth.

"There . . . there was a man in black with a sword . . . that's all I saw."

"Where were you before you came home to the murders?"  John inquired, taking this all into stride.

"You mean," She began very bitterly, "Why aren't I dead?"

"No, no, no!" Bill nearly punched his partner in the face.

"I was out on a walk.  I came back through the back, past the well house and saw my mother."  It was easy to lie when the truth was so much more painful.

"I see."  Bill smiled very kindly at her again, "You must be very tired and ready to sleep.  Would you mind if we called you later for more questions?"

"No, I don't mind."

"Are you sure someone is coming to pick you up?"  John began to stand, "We can keep someone here to wait for them to come, or take you to the station--,"

"No," Kagome was getting frustrated for reasons beyond the two men, "I have to stay here."

Another look was exchanged, but Bill quickly handed her a card with his home and extension at the police station, "If you need anything . . . anything at all . . . even if just to talk, please feel free to call either number, all right?"  Kagome nodded dully, taking the card in her right hand.  She wouldn't need to talk; she just had to wait for someone to come get her.  

Bill stood up and placed a fatherly hand on her head, "Kagome, you've been a very brave girl.  I'm sure your family would be very proud."

But as she watched their retreating forms, and the officers and paramedics disappear into the night, she didn't feel very brave at all.

==========

Inuyasha's heart did an interesting flip flop maneuver as he threw himself up and out of the well.  Kagome's scent had become apparent, and he knew that she was back in her own time.  Crouching down on all fours, he kept a nose to the ground, and moved quickly across the cement.  The first blood he encountered was not hers, though he could smell her scent in it.  Closing his eyes, he stood and said a silent prayer.  

A familiar ache rose in his chest.  Another mother to him was gone.

Inuyasha didn't have to rely on his nose once he caught sight of the crimson footprints.  He raised his head sharply as a car with flashing lights drove by, and scampered over to the strange yellow lines that had been wrapped around the entire premise from what he could tell.  The kanji on it was too modern for him to discern their meaning.  The texture of the florescent tape was also very odd.

Shaking his head, he continued to follow the path of what were most likely Kagome's steps. There were strange markings on the floor, and the furniture had been rearranged and up-turned.  The floor of the kitchen was littered with ramen packages, chocolate, and fruit, and his heart instantly winced again.  

"Kagome?" He called out, receiving no answer.  Was she alone in the house?  Where were the boy and the old man? He went up the stairs, being smart enough to think to check in her room.  Inuyasha glanced to the left down to Souta's open door, and then down to the right.

His heart stopped.

Kagome couldn't find the strength to move after everyone had left nearly three hours ago.  The sun had begun to naturally light the house, and she was thankful for the end to the night that had lasted for an eternity.  Everyone had stepped over her, asked her questions, and tried to clean the blood off of her.  But, she knew, deep down inside, she would never be clean again.  Kagome hadn't been fast enough, and she was, in the end, the one to blame.

"They all said they were sorry like they were the ones that had done it." She said in a flat voice, turning her head to look at Inuyasha's horrified face, "But they all looked at me like I was a little girl.  I'm not a little girl anymore."

Inuyasha walked slowly to kneel directly in front of her, placing both hands on her shoulders. Instinctively, he pulled her slightly off of the wall, running his hands down her back, pulling them over her arms, up her neck, and inspected her head for wounds.  When his fingers brushed over the spot where she had hit it before, they became tangled in the matted blood, and Kagome cringed.

"They told me I was being brave--," Her voice broke in the most heart wrenching tone Inuyasha had ever faced, and he watched helplessly as she finally began to cry again, "But I don't want to be brave anymore!"  

"Kagome . . ." Inuyasha finally whispered, pulling her to him and wrapping his arms around her.  Almost unconsciously he began to rub her back, like his mother had on days when he came home in tears.  Did that mean that . . .?

A quick glance down the left wing of the hall to the blood stains on the carpet quickly proved his theory, and he clenched his eyes shut.  When would it stop?  When would this new hell they found themselves in end?

What to do when a human could not care for themselves was a subject that he had never truly encountered before.  First and foremost, Kagome needed to be cleaned off.  Her family's blood on her clothing and skin would only serve as a reminder to what had happened, and it severely warped her scent..  The warm water might halt her shivering, too.  Making up his mind, he lifted the small girl into his arms and headed towards the bathroom.  

While Kagome had been at school, and he was left waiting for her, her mother had shown him how to wash himself using a future waterfall device called a "bath".  First step was to push down the metal piece below . . . check.  Now, if he could only . . .

Inuyasha nearly congratulated himself aloud when water began to spurt from the metal device that was directly above the now-closed hole.  He stuck his hand in the water and winced as it scorched his skin.  Inuyasha began to frantically shake his hand out.  It wasn't a washing device, it was a bloody weapon!  

It took a few more tries and nearly breaking off both handles before Inuyasha finally got it to a temperature that wouldn't harm her sensitive flesh.  He took a deep breath and began to remove her clothing in a very business-like manner.  In any other situation, he would have been slammed face first into the ground by now.  In any other situation, it would have been Miroku's dream.  

Kagome said nothing through all of this, and Inuyasha felt something stir inside of him at the trust she was displaying.  Placing her carefully into the water, he watched her shudder and instantly panicked; was it too warm for her, after all?  But, as she settled in, she showed no signs of movement.  So, Inuyasha washed her himself.  

Carefully, as if not to accidentally scratch her, he rubbed the blood off of her soft skin with his hands, noticing how quickly the bath water had changed to a different shade.  Taking off the fire rat haori, he pushed up his sleeves, and leaned her head back into the water to wash her hair.  Kagome closed her eyes, and her breathing finally slowed under his touch.  

'_Good,' Inuyasha thought, surprisingly calm and not acknowledging of the fact that she was naked and vulnerable in front of him, '_She's finally asleep.'__

Her skin was pink and clean by the time he was convinced she was clean, and some color had returned to her face and cheeks.  A towel was hanging from the rack above his head, and he reached up to grab it.  He then lifted Kagome from the bath back against his chest.  

Drying her off was a very tender act in itself.  He rubbed the soft fabric very lightly against her skin, a frown still marring his face.  He made sure each and every finger and toe was dry before discarding the towel back onto the floor.  The girl had clothing _somewhere in her room, though there was really no necessity to find it.  The bloody and ruined clothing was left on the ground next to the towel.  _

He wrapped her slender body in his over-sized haori top tightly and picked her up again.  To sleep through all of this meant that she was both physically and mentally exhausted which meant . . . sleep, right?  So, he would bring her to her bed. 

Kagome's room was the only room that had been hardly touched.  The lights were on, and the stupid cat poked its head out from under the bed before pulling it back under at the sight of him.  She stirred in his arms slightly, mumbling something even he could not decipher.  Kagome turned her head to snuggle deeper into his chest, unwilling to let him go even as he placed her down under her bed covers.

"Don't go.  Please don't leave me alone."  She whispered her eyes blinking open tiredly, and her hands still clutching the fabric of his shirt, "Please, don't go."  

"Go back to sleep." He mumbled as he slid under the sheets next to her, "I'll protect you."  Wrapping both arms around her, and pulling her atop of his chest, he let out a soft sigh.  Hopefully, the morning's new light would bring about a better day.

'_Don't worry, Kagome . . . I'll take care of you now.'_

========

Important Note:

This chapter, in its entirety, was very, very emotionally taxing to write. You might not understand why I did what I did quite yet, but they did not die in vain. :x  I've always really loved Souta, and Kagome's mother is just so . . . nice.  I have a little brother myself, and the age difference between Kagome and Souta is pretty much the same as the age difference between my brother and I.  So in order to write that scene, I had to come up with my worst nightmare in regards to my little buddy.  You might not have been crying, but I wass. ^^; Er, to kill the mood:  The decapitation is dedicated to Yuki of decapitated-head.net!  She rules!  A Thousand Years might end up with its own webpage, depending on how long it goes on for, and if I decide to do any major revisions to it.

It was weird, reading through it, it felt like nothing had happened and was just pointless filler.  But then I realized that a)I killed off her family b) the village was destroyed and c) I introduced "the box". . . and that's actually more than I had intended. ^^;

Thank you for all the kind reviews, and keep them coming.  I love feedback.  The style of writing I'm using in this story is different than the one I usually write in, so I constantly need to know how I'm doing.  Thanks again for reading!

3 Sashi 2003


	5. Part 4: An Unexpected Visitor

Disclaimer Janx: blah, blah, blah. Blah, blah, blah? BLAH, BLAH, NO OWN, blah, blah.  
  
Warning! This chapter (as well as the previous ones and the ones soon to follow) contains some really vulgar language, violence, and gore. It's nothing out of character, but it might be offensive if you're a Church- goin' folk.  
  
Note: There's a scene in this chapter that implies homosexuality, and it might come off as offensive to those taking it 100% serious. Homosexuality, by no means whatsoever, is degrading, but the character takes offense to the reference of cross-dressing and the other has to cover up his/her mistake. So please know that I meant no offense. ^^;  
  
Much love to my poppet, Ju for beta-ing. 3  
  
========  
  
A Thousand Years  
  
(Part 4: An Unexpected Visitor)  
  
By Mourning Ophelia  
  
========  
  
"Here, Gentlemen, a dog teaches us a lesson in humanity."  
  
--Napoleon Bonaparte  
  
========  
A draft of wind from her open window lifted the haori that had been previously wrapped around her tightly. Kagome blinked her eyes open tiredly, unwilling to move from the warmth she was surrounded by. Her blurred room came into focus as she rubbed her eyes on the sleeve of the haori.  
  
'I must look like a disaster.' She thought as she began to push herself up. From beneath her, her own personal body pillow growled a bit--almost protesting her movement-- before turning to rest his chin on the top of her head. Under any other normal circumstance, Inuyasha would have been booted up into the atmosphere or slammed down onto her floor without a second thought. He probably would have yelled and snarled for her to hurry up and get ready to leave. But this was not any normal circumstance.  
  
Her sleep hadn't been restless, but instead very deep and blank. In a way, she was more tired than she had been before, but she suspected that had more to do with her heart, rather than her body. She closed her eyes and listened to Inuyasha's heartbeat thundering in her right ear. His chest rose and fell gently, his entire physical prowess lost on the adorable scowl on his face.  
  
'He stayed here the entire night? Even after he saw me . . .?' Kagome's cheeks were instantly stained with a faint pink blush. It probably wasn't the first time he had seen her in the nude-- he and Miroku had been known to spy on her and Sango's bathing occasionally-- but Kagome was still slightly embarrassed. She had been so emotionally drained the night before that he could have done anything to her, and she wouldn't have protested it. But in a strange, endearing way he had washed her himself. Kagome could still feel his hands as they gently rubbed her back, she could still see the horrified look in his eyes as he let his macho façade fall. She had almost expected to be punished for not returning to the Sengoku Jidai before coming back to the future . . . but he had been too concerned for her to point it out.  
  
Blood could be washed away, but memories lasted forever.  
  
'I need to get up.' There were people to call and family to inform. Untangling herself from Inuyasha's arms gingerly, she prayed the hanyou wouldn't wake up. Fortunately for her, his frown deepened, and he let out another low growl. Turning onto his side, Inuyasha turned his head into her pillow and buried himself in her scent. Kagome stood, uncaring of the fact she was half dressed and took a minute to take it all in.  
  
'I had always wished for it to be like this, but not this way . . .' Tears began to well up in her eyes. This had been what she had wanted for so long-- to feel safe and protected. Instead of being filled with a special bliss at his care for her, Kagome felt like her entire soul had been turned to lead. She wanted to vomit.  
  
She made her away cross her room to her dresser silently, grabbing a heavy hooded sweatshirt and a pair of jeans. Before she stripped it off, she pressed the inside of his haori to her face and inhaled deeply. It was quickly discarded on the floor in favor of warmer clothing, but she later picked it up, only to fold it with extreme care. Like she had suspected, her hair was a disaster only eclipsed by a hurricane. Pulling it into a simple ponytail, she rubbed her face tiredly and looked into the mirror. An indefinite amount of time was spent looking into that mirror, and she forced herself to smile. Kagome tried to be happy in her state of denial. Denial. Wasn't that the second stage of grieving? Grieving. Wasn't that being an orphan who had been too late to save those most precious to her?  
  
Kagome turned back to the bed where Inuyasha still slept. Judging by his inactivity, she realized how truly tired he must have been as well. The past few days had been less than pleasant, and he was probably feeling the strain too. Carefully, she placed his haori over his sleeping form. Kagome leaned down to press a soft kiss on his brow, unable to express her gratitude in any other way. A purring noise rose from his throat and she almost smiled for real.  
  
Almost.  
  
She left the room quietly, shutting the door behind her. Bypassing the upstairs phone, she went down into the kitchen to make her calls.  
  
Inuyasha waited at least ten minutes before allowing his left ear to twitch in the direction that she had gone. The truth was that he had been awake more than two hours before she had, but merely contented himself to stay with her-- to make sure she was safe. It had been strangely nice to sleep so close to someone so dear, he thought, trying to hide his own blush. He rose from the bed, stretching out his limbs like a cat after a long nap. Below him, he could faintly hear her voice, tearless but strained, explaining what had occurred. Was there someone with her?  
  
Inuyasha decided to give her some time to finish whatever the hell it was she was doing. His nose was to the ground, and began to search for something that would lead them to the killer. The floor of the upstairs hallway was bombarded with too many smells for him to distinguish anything other than his own and Kagome's. The little boy's room wasn't much better, but he was able to pick out the scents with more clarity. And what's more was the fact that there was one sinister scent that made even his blood curdle.  
  
Inuyasha might have denied it with a passion, or played it cool around him, but he truly did like Kagome's little brother. He even liked the old fool for being, well, an old fool. Kagome's mother . . . she had been one of only four women that completely and earnestly trusted him. To have them killed in such an inhumane way was infuriating; to have their deaths linked to Naraku was maddening. The snarl that escaped his lips wasn't an expression of half of the emotions that stormed through his heart at that moment. Would he tell her? Could he tell her? They had been through so much together, and Inuyasha had been so sure that he knew the girl better than she knew herself. To see her sitting on the floor utterly destroyed and broken, to see her eyes that were usually so full of life and passion completely dead, to see the heaviness of the situation and not run away from it screaming . . . it was almost too much for him to bear.  
  
His mind was made up then and there not to inform the weak girl downstairs of his discovery. Her heart didn't need to be destroyed any further, and he certainly would feel better if she wasn't involved with the hunt for the killer at all.  
  
Inuyasha crept downstairs, watching her from behind as she sat at their family (hers now, his mind corrected) table with a strange object pressed against her ear.  
  
"Yes," She was saying, "I'll be staying with my friend in the countryside. The police said they would be here later this morning to search the house in daylight." She paused for a moment before continuing, "Thank you Auntie, I would be much obliged. Yes, goodbye."  
  
He came into the room and sat next to her quietly as she placed the foreign object down. He waited for her to speak before opening his mouth to worsen the situation.  
  
Kagome leaned her head down onto the table and spoke, "My school has excused me for the rest of the year, but I have to come back during the summer to make up all the exams I'll have missed. My aunt and uncle will be coming to stay here and oversee all the funeral preparations. All send their utmost regrets and apologies for my loss. " Her sarcastic tone was not lost on the hanyou, who continued to look at her with deep concern. She gave a deep sigh as she sat back on her heels, leaning against his shoulder as if it was the most natural thing in the world, "Do you think I'm being a bad daughter by not doing it myself?"  
  
"No."  
  
She looked up at him sharply, "It's my responsibility--,"  
  
"It's your responsibility to live to find out what happened." He gushed out, harsher than he had intended. A small smile played on her lips as she gave him her reluctant agreement. Inuyasha was suddenly slightly embarrassed for her gratitude and looked away, "In any case, we need to go. Who knows if this creep is still lurking around waiting to kill you?"  
  
"He's not," Kagome's voice was tired as she went into the kitchen, "I was there when he killed my mother--," Inuyasha's back straightened, "He was going to kill me too, but something stopped him. It was like he was communicating with someone who was invisible."  
  
'I was there when he killed my mother . . .'  
  
Inuyasha closed his eyes and tired to block out the memories that that the statement brought.  
  
Her voice brought him out of his silent reverie, ". . . and we need to be gone before the police come."  
  
"Huh? Why?"  
  
"Well, besides the fact that they'd be a little more than confused by you . . ." Inuyasha did his honest best not to look too wounded by her implication.  
  
"What else?" He snapped with a nice side dish of hostility. After everything he'd done for her, she was still ashamed of him?  
  
Kagome ignored his melodrama and tried to explain, "I got a really bad feeling when I was talking to one of the officers on the phone. The sounded very suspicious of me, and the one that had treated my kindly the night before told me not to leave because I was a criminal that had killed my family." Inuyasha fell backwards in shock from his seat at the table.  
  
"That's a pretty fucking good reason to leave!" He hollered to her, causing her to wince.  
  
"I don't understand!" She cried, her tears coming back as he moved into the kitchen to comfort her in his usual awkward way, "How could I have gone from being a victim to a criminal overnight? I mean, there are laws against that type of stuff, right?" Inuyasha placed a calming hand on her shoulder, trying to come up with an explanation himself. He had no idea whatsoever how things worked in her time. To him, there had never been "laws" or "rules." Inuyasha was above that sort of thing.  
  
"I think I might have an idea." A new voice called from the doorway.  
  
Both of their heads snapped up in the same instant. Inuyasha's hand went for the Tetsusaiga, ready to unleash hell, as a dark look fell over his face. Kagome's mouth opened and closed wordlessly as she was thrown behind the hanyou protectively. And while sure, plenty of unusual and horrible things had happened in the past few days; she'd nearly died, slipped into a different world, had her family killed . . . the list went on and on. Like any smart human being, she knew that the situation was more likely to get worse before it got better . . .  
  
. . . But that still didn't explain why Sesshoumaru was standing in her living room.  
  
========  
  
Their morning had been strange to say the very least.  
  
Sango and Miroku had been woken up from their camping site by an energetic kitsune who bounded back and forth, relaying his and Inuyasha's adventure the night before. The words rushed out of his mouth like an avalanche, but both humans were able to pick out the fact that the village had been destroyed, and Kagome would be coming home with Inuyasha very soon. Sango's fear for Kirara had been muted by her appearance from beneath the shrubbery.  
  
"See, Sango?" Miroku had said softly with an infectious smile on his face, "I told you everything would turn out for the best." She had smiled back, picking up their sleeping materials and enlisting Shippou to help carry them. They had caught a ride back on Kirara, where they were met with the scene of utter destruction. There was no way Shippou could have begun to have described it that would match the true tragedy of it all.  
  
Most of the women and children were out gathering what crops they could harvest and herbs before the first snow. Shippou dropped their supplies at the corner of the village remains and went back to his previous job of searching for nuts. Kaede was directing the men carrying the lumber to different piles of what would later become new homes. As soon as she caught sight of the new arrivals, she motioned them over.  
  
"Kaede-sama!" Miroku shared another smile with her, "It is good to see you alive and well."  
  
"Same to you. We were worried about you both last night."  
  
"Is there anything we can do to help?" Sango inquired, feeling rather useless. A couple of the young men behind Kaede began to nod frantically, desperate for some, if any form of assistance, "At least until Inuyasha and Kagome get back?"  
  
"I'm certain there are various tasks you could find." Kaede began, shooing the boys away with her hands and a dirty look, "Though I'm more curious as to what the cause of this event was, and what is happening to Kagome."  
  
"We all are." Sango sighed. Miroku placed a chaste hand on her shoulder and turned her in the opposite direction she was facing, "I'm sure they need help with carrying the lumber. Maybe Kirara would be of some assistance?"  
  
"Right!" She smiled gratefully at him, "Let's go Kirara! We're needed!"  
  
Once Sango had gone, Miroku had turned back to the old priestess, "There's actually something I need to speak to you about in private . . ." The grave tone of his voice moved her to bring him to a more secluded edge of the forest.  
  
"Whatever is the matter?" She asked as her curiosity piqued.  
  
"When I found Kagome-sama after the fight, she wasn't alone." Miroku cut straight to the chase and left a merciless path of confusion behind him, "In fact, it was a little girl that was with her. No more than a ghost."  
  
"An evil spirit?"  
  
"No, I tried everything to get her away from Kagome-sama, but every time I got close, I was thrown back. However, when Inuyasha came, the little girl vanished as if she was never there and he was able to walk over to her." Miroku's staff jangled slightly in the soft breeze, "I can't help but feel this might have something to do with the new eagerness to fight on the youkai's behalf."  
  
A thought struck Kaede then, "What did this little girl look like?"  
  
His lips formed a thin line as he recalled the memory to him, "Dark hair, but I never got a look at her eyes. She seemed like a normal child in every other aspect." At her silence, he inquired, "Is there something you are not telling me?"  
  
"There is a story, though it best be saved for when the others arrive. Thank you for telling me this, houshi-sama. My search is now more clarified, and I can finally be of more help to solving this mystery." They both began to move back toward the village.  
  
There was a loud crash that rushed through the forest like a thunderstorm. Hundreds of birds dove from their perches into the clear day time sky. Villagers began to shout, questioning what the noise had been. Miroku and Kaede turned just in time to see the bloodied form drop out from behind a tree.  
  
Kaede gasped in sheer shock as Miroku pushed her behind him protectively and began to unravel his rosary beads. When the figure didn't move, the two took a few steps closer to inspect the body. Miroku leaned down just above its head to flip the body. The body began to wheeze and cough as soon as Miroku's hand made contact.  
  
'This is . . .!' The monk's eyes widened.  
  
"K-K-Kag-o-me," Kouga gasped when Miroku carefully turned his body over, "Kagome . . ."  
  
"What happened?!" Sango called as she and Shippou ran up to them. Instantly, she wheeled back at the sight of the wolf youkai, "Kouga?"  
  
"I n-nee-d K-K-Kagome!" He was stuttering over and over again, "B-bring m- me to Kagome!" Kouga's brilliant blue eyes blinked open lazily. Small streams of blood flowed from various parts of his body onto the ground beneath them. Sango knew what had happened before the others had even recovered from their shock.  
  
"He's been poisoned." The demon exterminator explained plainly, motioning for Miroku to help lift Kouga's body back into the village.  
  
"Once we clean his wounds, we shall be able to find a remedy for his ailment." Kaede put in, following closely behind the two.  
  
Shippou lingered a few moments, taking in the scent of the air for clues like he had seen Inuyasha do so many times. When he came up with nothing but blood and the wolf youkai, a forlorn expression twisted itself onto his features. In the distance, the Bone Eater's Well glistened in the midday sun, a reminder of what was soon to come.  
  
'Oh Kagome, when are you coming home?'  
  
========  
  
"Sesshoumaru!" Inuyasha snarled, gripping the hilt of his sword tightly. Behind him, Kagome blinked in a state of utter confusion.  
  
"Inuyasha!" Sesshoumaru panned, imitating his tone and posture perfectly. A smile played upon his lips as if he knew an entire world of information that they had yet to see.  
  
Inuyasha and Kagome face faulted slightly, "That's the most emotion I've ever heard him express. Should we be more worried about a fight or his sanity?" Kagome whispered to the hanyou, giving the new arrival the once- over. Inuyasha snorted and relaxed his grip only slightly.  
  
"What the hell are you doing here?"  
  
"Excuse me, but unlike you," Sesshoumaru paused to emphasize his point, "I actually belong in this time."  
  
"Huh?" Kagome and Inuyasha gave each other a quick look. Now that the initial shock of seeing them, she took notice of his appearance. His long tresses had been combed back into a neat ponytail at the base of his neck, and he was wearing a sharp gray business suit that looked like it cost more than her entire home. With the new look came a very distinct lack of youkai markings, pointed ears, claws, Sengoku Jidai clothing, and . . .  
  
"Wait . . ." Kagome began slowly, "Where's your . . . ah . . . um . . ."  
  
"Spit it out wench, we certainly do not have all day." Sesshoumaru gave her a pained expression. He dug one hand into his pocket and leaned against their couch.  
  
"Where's your fluffy boa thing?" She blurted out, a red tint immediately overcoming her cute features. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru both looked at her as if she had lost her mind.  
  
"My 'fluffy boa thing'?" She had definitely caught the demon Lord of the West off guard.  
  
"You mean his tail?" Inuyasha clarified, desperately trying to hide his bark of laughter with a cough. Oh, how the mighty Sesshoumaru had fallen! The flash of anger that crossed his half-brother's features was enough to make Inuyasha feel giddy inside.  
  
"That's a TAIL?" She nearly shrieked. Both demons nodded to stress her stupidity. "Oh. Well. That makes a LOT more sense now. Here I was thinking that it was to go along with your eyeliner and your dress. I was worried about you for a minute-- not that that's anything to be ashamed of! I never did see you with a female other than -- ok, shutting up right about now." Kagome slid behind a hysterically laughing Inuyasha at the sight of Sesshoumaru clenching his fist in her general direction.  
  
"You INSOLENT BITCH." He nearly roared, "Here I was offering assistance, and you dare degrade me-- the mighty Sesshoumaru?!" He turned to leave, stomping toward her door like a two year old who had had his toy broken by an older bully. Seeing that the Inuyasha had collapsed to the floor laughing insanely, Kagome took the matter into her own hands.  
  
"Wait! Wait! I'm sorry!" She bowed repeatedly to him in a formal apology. Thinking quickly she added, "I'm just a stupid human that has no business even thinking such horrible things about you, Sesshoumaru-sama."  
  
Inuyasha stopped laughing.  
  
Sesshoumaru grinned nastily.  
  
"You caught me off guard, you see? I almost didn't recognize you at first because you'd gotten rid of all your clothing from the Sengoku Jidai. I'm really sorry." Kagome sputtered, moving back to where Inuyasha still perched in the kitchen.  
  
"It does not excuse the fact that you are a rude bitch, but it is forgiven for now. However, you still have not invited me in, nor asked me if I would like any refreshments. Were you raised in a barn, girl?"  
  
Kagome clenched her teeth, "Please. Excuse. Me. Sesshoumaru-sama. Come. In. Would. You. Like. A. Beverage?"  
  
He gave her an impassive look, "No, I have come to retrieve you."  
  
Kagome collapsed in exasperation against the counter as Inuyasha spoke again. His tone was low and dangerous, "We're not going anywhere with you."  
  
Sesshoumaru let out a martyred sigh, "Still as thick and dim as ever. Quite refreshing to know that some things truly never do change," He paused at Inuyasha's outraged look but continued swiftly, "Haven't you figured out yet that I am not the same Sesshoumaru from your time?"  
  
It dawned on Kagome, "You're still alive in my time, or have you been reborn?"  
  
Sesshoumaru gave his half-brother a disappointed look, "Your bitch figured it out before you did. But to answer your question, I am still alive."  
  
"So you're, like, over four hundred years old now?" Kagome gave him an incredulous look.  
  
"More or less." Inuyasha seemed to be searching the future Sesshoumaru's face for any signs of hostility, "Full youkai live for extremely long amounts of time."  
  
"How did you change how you look then?" Kagome attempted to not bring up the former subject.  
  
"You mean to say, where did my 'fluffy boa thing' go?" Sesshoumaru watched her squirm slightly and felt pleased, "A simple spell. I cannot be a powerful C.E.O. while in that form." Kagome noticed the pride in his voice at the mention of 'powerful C.E.O.' and bit her lip. That explained the suit and expensive sunglasses he was pulling out.  
  
"Why should we go with you?" Inuyasha repeated slowly, getting back on topic.  
  
"I have information as to what's going on in this day and age. You are both in grave danger if you remain here any longer." He turned to leave again, "I'll be out in my limo waiting for you."  
  
As soon as he was gone from eyeshot, Kagome face faulted again, "He has a limo?"  
  
"I don't think we should go." Inuyasha began stubbornly, "He could be leading us into a trap."  
  
"I don't think he is." Her tone matched his evenly, "He would have attacked us by now. He seems . . . different."  
  
"No, we're going back to the well. Right now." Inuyasha took her arm and began leading her towards the other door, "The others are waiting. The little brat nearly clawed my eyes out when he saw you were gone!"  
  
"Inuyasha!" She snapped, "Stop! Can you trust anyone anymore?"  
  
"And this is coming from the girl who just had her entire family murdered! I'm trying to protect you, but going with him is like suicide!" Inuyasha snarled, whirling around to face her. She had forgotten about the loss momentarily, but the entire situation came slamming back into her and she felt her heart drop into her stomach. Seeing her reaction Inuyasha regretted having brought the subject back up. If Shippou had been there, he would have let the kitsune claw his eyes out willingly.  
  
"Inuyasha, he didn't have any malicious intent. You have to trust me." She had read Sesshoumaru's soul easily, and found only random bits of concern and loneliness. Inuyasha gave her a confused and disbelieving look.  
  
"It's something I can do. I can tell what other people are feeling . . . I can't explain it." The tears were coming back, and Inuyasha felt his resolve slipping, "Please Inuyasha, do it for me." Her small hand came to rest gently on his arm and she stared into his eyes pleadingly.  
  
A few minutes passed before Inuyasha looked to the ground with a slight blush at what had just passed, "Fine. But if he kills you, I won't do anything to stop him!" His voice was haughty, but she knew that he wasn't serious. Kagome favored him with a small smile and took his hand in her own.  
  
"Come on, he's waiting." Inuyasha lead her to the door, letting her trail shyly. The morning air was frigid, signally the approaching fall season. A glint of midnight black caught her eye, and she pointed in the direction of the limo. A man dressed in a black suit with dark glasses opened the back door for them, and motioned for them to get in.  
  
"Inuyasha," She whispered before they slid inside, "Thank you . . . for everything."  
  
"Feh." He was blushing again, but tried to mask it under his mane of fine white hair. If Sesshoumaru saw it he wouldn't--  
  
"Don't tell me I missed another touching moment. You two are so sweet it gives me cavities. Absolutely disgusting if you ask me." Instantly, two red faces were aflame across from him, but they could say nothing to the deny it. After the opening embarrassment most of the ride was spent in silence; Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha were locked in a fierce battle of the death glares, and Kagome merely contented herself to play with the switches on her side. A thought struck her as she pressed down on a button extremely hard while crying out, "Sesshoumaru-sama! I have a question!"  
  
The wine rack that was above the demon lord came swinging down to thwack against his head. Sesshoumaru closed his eyes very calmly, counting backwards from ten to control himself. Subsequent to re-convincing himself for the fifth time that day that he didn't kill cheeky human wenches, he found his restraint. Kagome looked slightly meek as she finished her outburst, "You have the sword that brings people back to life, right?"  
  
Inuyasha caught her train of thought and looked at her with a discouraging expression, "You forget he's a cold unforgiving bastard that hates humans, Kagome."  
  
"You forget your place, hanyou." Sesshoumaru snarled, pushing the wine rack back into its place, "And in any case, I could not help you even if I desired to. The Tenseiga has forsaken me."  
  
"What the hell did you do to it?" Inuyasha gave him a disgusted look, "Can't you even take care of a sword as a powerful See .The. Orge?"  
  
"C.E.O." Kagome corrected quietly. She closed her eyes as she was bombarded with the pain Sesshoumaru was inwardly feeling. It was deep, stabbing, something that was similar to what she was feeling. Kagome could feel Sesshoumaru's gaze linger on her, knowing exactly what she was doing. Instead of reprimanding her, he said nothing, and merely turned his head to look out the window.  
  
"Whatever! It was a gift from our father--!"  
  
"Inuyasha, stop." Kagome whispered, "Just stop." Inuyasha took one look at her pained expression and shut up, pressing his ears back against his head tightly in disapproval. So she was standing up for him now, was she? A snarl escaped his lips. Kagome placed her hand on top of his again, trying to calm him down, but he was too angry with the entire situation to acknowledge it. He just wanted to go back home, not coddle her around his half brother.  
  
"I did not follow the sword's will; therefore, it disowned me and was later stolen." Sesshoumaru's voice was even and sinister then, a tone they were more familiar with. Kagome frowned slightly, but didn't press the issue. Even if he was lying to her, it wouldn't have been any good if he couldn't find it in his heart to revive her family. She would find another way, and nothing would be able to stop her. Even if it meant wishing for it on the Shikon no Tama, she would bring them back.  
  
He was right, some things never did change.  
  
The skyscraper they were advancing towards was a sleek black and glinted in the sunlight like an obsidian tower. Sesshoumaru told his driver to pull to the front instead of parking.  
  
"SesshouRin Cooperation . . ." Kagome mouthed as she stepped out of the back seat. They were ushered inside quickly, and were lost in the hustle and bustle. The ground level was mainly elaborate black marble pathways that lead straight to the main elevator. Along the right side were two information desks; the women behind them smiled and waved fondly to their boss who nodded in their direction. Inuyasha tried not to look too disturbed next to Kagome, uncomfortable with the amount of people that were swarming around them. Apparently, no one had taken in his appearance yet.  
  
'Of course! How did I never figure this out before?!' A sweat drop nearly engulfed her head. Of course, she never would have put it together; SesshouRin had begun as mainly a pluming company, but they had slowly begun to expand into other fields like electricity and automobiles.  
  
Once they reached the elevator and the doors closed behind them, Inuyasha felt a little bit less insecure. As it lurched upward, he gripped the rails looking away at Sesshoumaru's amused smile. Rubbing his bare feet against the fine carpet of the mirrored elevator, he caught a glimpse of Kagome out of the corner of his eye. From her faraway expression, he deducted that now probably wasn't a good time to question what the metal beast was that they were currently in.  
  
"You don't have to worry," Sesshoumaru was interrupted by the ding of the elevator announcing that it had reached its destination, "Everyone that works here is at least part youkai."  
  
"Really?" Kagome's eyes were wide with disbelief as she stepped out into the hallway, "Why couldn't I sense them, then?"  
  
"The spell I spoke of before masks not only our appearance, but our life aura. Your skills are not powerful enough to discern past it. Yet." Sesshoumaru explained. The hallway was painted in a deep crimson with various artworks hanging on the wall. With a smile, Kagome noticed the few attempts to bring in some form of plant life.  
  
"Good morning Sesshoumaru-sama." A fair-haired woman with brilliant scarlet eyes greeted him as they approached his office, "Who are your visitors?" Kagome watched as her eyes scanned Inuyasha's unaware form appreciatively. Something inside of her made her want to punch the attractive woman into oblivion.  
  
'She must be his secretary . . .' Kagome watched as she handed him various memos and numbers he would need to call later. All the while her eyes were on Inuyasha, watching him like a cat would a mouse.  
  
"My brother Inuyasha and his mate, Higurashi Kagome." Sesshoumaru stated impassively as he passed her desk and went into his office. Both Kagome and Inuyasha sputtered at the implication and began to protest. The secretary merely looked slightly disappointed and went back to work. Inuyasha seemed to have moved onto the fact that Sesshoumaru had referred to him in a semi decent way, and went into his office willingly.  
  
Sesshoumaru's actual office was quite dark and gothic. Statues of deformed humans lined the path to his desk. Sesshoumaru was flanked by three giant windows, all of which had the sun blocked out by dark blinds. He sat behind a large black marble desk in a chair that would have dwarfed any other man. He truly looked magnificent.  
  
Kagome took a seat in one of the chairs that were provided, but stood again as Sesshoumaru snapped, "I never said you could sit, wench."  
  
Kagome's eye began to twitch.  
  
"Please, have a seat." Sesshoumaru motioned only moments later, signally for her and Inuyasha to sit. Kagome stared at him as if he had lost his mind, but sat nonetheless.  
  
"Get to the point." Inuyasha demanded, refusing to move from his standing position. They still had to return to the past to check on Kaede and the others.  
  
"SesshouRin is a cooperation that I created after I found myself with a nasty clog in my outhouse a hundred or so years ago. I patented the toilet plunger and became an instant millionaire."  
  
"How did you manage to clog it, Sesshoumaru-sama?" Kagome asked smiling innocently. Inuyasha had no idea what they were talking about, and instead pretended to find the wall closest to him very interesting.  
  
"I do believe, Kagome-chan, that that is none of your business."  
  
"That's right, it was yours!" She slapped her knee, amused by her own cleverness.  
  
"That is enough!" He slammed his fist down, "I will not be ridiculed by you of all people."  
  
Kagome was desperately trying to hide the smile that had engulfed her face, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Stupid human moment again!" She paused to collect herself, "So you're saying you went from the mighty Demon Lord of the West to the mighty Demon Lord of the Toilet Bowl cleaners?"  
  
Another indignant expression crossed his face though he didn't lash out at her, "You could say that. Later I expanded the company to where it is today. Most of the youkai that remained alive throughout the years came under my protection to work here."  
  
"That's really nice of you." Kagome began earnestly, "But what does that have to do with us?"  
  
"I and the people that work for me are the only ones you can trust. We are the only ones that are immune to the dream spiders."  
  
This finally caught Inuyasha's attention, "There are more fucking spiders?"  
  
"Millions." Sesshoumaru confirmed, "In any case, none of my people could find out where they were coming from until we 'acquired' a former employee of a rival company." Kagome and Inuyasha did not press to know the means of 'acquirement.'  
  
"What are they?" Kagome asked, her eyes momentarily falling to a framed small portrait of a woman to the right of Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru followed her gaze and instantly removed the object, throwing it into a desk drawer  
  
. . . But not before Kagome had pieced together who it was. Another smile passed over her face at Sesshoumaru's threatening glare. So he didn't wish to be embarrassed any further? She could handle that.  
  
"They're a dream spell in the form of a spider; they infected Japan's population through the water supply. In a sense, they control a weak mind through their own most private fears and warp their sense of reality."  
  
Inuyasha looked to Kagome's paled face, wondering just what she had seen that had caused her to become so deathly afraid of him. It couldn't be that her greatest fear was him . . .  
  
Could it?  
  
"Everyone? Even the authorities?" Kagome looked as if she might cry, "Are they coming after me because I don't have one anymore?"  
  
"I am not sure; they do the will of a man named Donovan of the Komoku Cooperation. He has always been my lead competitor, a hunter of youkai, and a scum worse than humans. He is neither man nor youkai-- he is merely there."  
  
"Why haven't you killed him?" Inuyasha's voice was very grave, "I know you aren't above something like that; especially if he interferes with your vision of justice."  
  
Sesshoumaru nearly sighed, "I had not realized he had become such a threat. He is now virtually unreachable with spies everywhere." He looked to Kagome, "He knows that you are back in this time, and will be sending men to apprehend you. As of yet, his purpose remains unknown."  
  
Sesshoumaru looked to his younger half brother, the one that he despised for so many years, "If he intends to kill her, it would severely damage the path that both of you are intended to take."  
  
"I won't let that happen!" Inuyasha swore chivalrously. Kagome beamed up at him in response, her eyes shining. Sesshoumaru tried not to look ill at the scene as Inuyasha inquired, "But tell me this: what role does Naraku play in this story?"  
  
Sesshoumaru looked as startled as they had ever seen him, "None that I am aware of, you killed him . . . or at least you will eventually." Inuyasha looked infinitely pleased at the hearsay. Even Kagome cracked a smile and shared a bit of the excitement. At least there was some good news!  
  
"Unfortunately, you both die horribly gruesome deaths during the battle and further ruin the progression of the future." Kagome fell backwards out of her seat as Inuyasha nearly decapitated a nearby statue in exasperation.  
  
"Oh man, you just had to say it. You just had to." Inuyasha's grimaced, trying to hide his disappointment. He moved to help Kagome up, and even went as far as to pick up the chair and replace it in its upright position.  
  
"Wait!" Kagome held up her hand as if to stop the conversation, "If I died during the battle, then how could I be in the future past that point in time to be here?"  
  
"Because you go back in time from being in this time, therefore you shift the flow of time back into the past where you exist there even though you were born in this time, further ratifying and solidifying your position in the past time rather than the present time." Sesshoumaru explained as if it was as obvious as daylight. Kagome nodded dumbly, hoping that Inuyasha might have weeded through the gibberish. Unfortunately, the hanyou's eyes had glazed over about midway through the first sentence. Time travel shit was confusing if you thought about it too much-- hence the fact he just jumped in the well and hoped for the best. And speaking of the well, it was getting close to the time he wanted to go back.  
  
"However, what the two of you must accomplish now is far greater, so you must do your best not to die this time around."  
  
"Gee, we'll try." Inuyasha huffed, uncomfortable at the knowledge of his own fate. He had half the mind to inquire about the rest of the group, but decided it would probably be better not to know. How would he be able to look them in the face with the knowledge of their untimely deaths looming over him?  
  
Sesshoumaru favored his brother with an impassive look, "Just because I have told you your fate does not mean that it will occur. If anything, the reason I brought you here was to warn you. Something is happening in the past-- I can feel the changes within myself even as we speak. Within days, I could be gone from this time as if I never existed."  
  
"You're talking about the crazy bloodlust all the youkai are going through, aren't you?" Inuyasha ignored Kagome's horrified expression, "What do you know about that? How can you be sure?"  
  
"Nothing is ever certain except for life and death, half brother."  
  
The trio sat in a lingering silence, each attempting to think of something to match the power of Sesshoumaru's statement. Kagome could feel without looking at him that Inuyasha was both confused and overwhelmed by the situation. In a way, she felt a strange acceptance of what Sesshoumaru had told her, but there was something else that was vexing him-- eating away at him slowly.  
  
Something that had to do with a certain little girl, maybe?  
  
"You must return to the past now. I have no other information to give other than what I have told you here today." Sesshoumaru rose slowly, motioning for them both to leave, "But if you will, Kagome, I would like a word with you in private."  
  
Inuyasha did not like that idea. But before he could protest any further, she gave him the damn pleading look and he was rendered helpless and at her will.  
  
'Feh. I'll be able to hear them through the walls anyway.' Shrugging off his dignity, he strolled outside to where the secretary was waiting for him. She smiled seductively at him, but Inuyasha merely stood guard outside the door as it shut firmly behind him.  
  
"Idiot. These walls are sound proof." Sesshoumaru muttered as he sat back down. Kagome remained standing, ready to make a run if the situation got too hairy for her liking.  
  
"What happened to her?" She inquired softly, watching as he diverted his eyes to the closed blinds of the windows behind him.  
  
"Humans are not immortal. They do not last, no matter how many times they are revived."  
  
Kagome felt sorry for him straight away, the suffering she had experienced was something he shared. Though, she realized with a deep sigh, that sort of pain was nothing new; every day, every minute, every hour, people lost something that they held dear to them.  
  
"I'm sorry for your loss." She realized how truly hypocritical the words were as soon as they escaped her lips.  
  
"As I am for yours, but that does not change the fact that they are all gone, does it?"  
  
No, it really didn't.  
  
"Humans and youkai do not belong together . . . they never have, and they most likely never will. However, this should not stop you from learning everything that you can about what has happened in the past to . . . inhibit this." Kagome nodded, promising to look into the topic further as he continued, "Something tells me that this will play a major role in whatever it is that must be accomplished."  
  
"I will, and thank you. I know it's hard to move on with life and accept your brother and try to treat him kindly." Her words came out in a rush and garbled, but he did not doubt her sincerity for even a moment. When he said nothing further, Kagome took this as her sign to leave. Also reluctant to leave the safety that the room offered, she moved towards the door. His deep voice halted her just as her hand reached the door knob.  
  
"One more thing . . . if I may ask a personal favor?"  
  
========  
  
After fluttering in and out, complaining about the task, and then vanishing at Kanna's appearance, he fought every urge in body to shred Kagura. One of these days, he was going to find an excuse to terminate her life. The box in his hand, however, reminded him of exactly why he could not. Even if his offspring was disobedient, she never failed in getting the job done when it truly counted.  
  
Naraku slid his fingers over its lid, relishing in the spark of dark power that slid through him in that instant. So the rumors had been true after all-- no being with youkai blood in them escaped the call of the moonlight. It was only a matter of a few weeks before the day of reckoning would be upon them all.  
  
A flash of black to his left caught his attention. So another had returned quickly as well? Kohaku emerged from the dark, dropping a large potato sack on the ground in front of the hanyou unceremoniously. The lackluster glint in his eyes would have been eerie to any other being, yet Naraku found it almost empowering. The boy was useless as a human, but as his personal servant, he had grown stronger in months. A pleased look crossed his face as he motioned the dark haired boy closer to him.  
  
"Kohaku, you know what to do with this." Letting it linger only moments in his hands, Naraku stiffly handed the box to the boy and watched him disappear from the dark room. He did not hesitate in removing Kohaku's delivery from its shelter.  
  
The cool frame of the mirror was heavy in his otherwise frigid hands. What little sunlight filtered in from the setting sun lit up its face to reveal the mirror's true nature. Slowly, a face materialized and Naraku rewarded his new treasure with a horrible smirk.  
  
"So you have obtained the Mirror of Kamenosuke I take it?" The voice of the speaker was very superior and refined.  
  
"So it would appear. What do you have to report, Donovan?" Naraku steadied the mirror on his lap.  
  
Donovan's blue eyes glinted mischievously, "Nothing that would concern you."  
  
Naraku looked unimpressed, "Everything you do concerns me," and then, in a more glacial tone, "You forget who holds your life."  
  
The man sighed dramatically, running a hand through his sandy blonde hair, "Cheers to you, Lord Naraku." Straightening his tie, he quickly put in, "You were right, she did return to her own time."  
  
"Did you send Kazou?" It was more a statement rather than a question.  
  
"I would think you would already know."  
  
Naraku studied the creature's face, searching for anything to convey what it was feeling. The lack of depth in any of the emotions Donovan was expressing served to only infuriate Naraku further.  
  
"Of course," He paused, collecting his emotions in a hard tone, "Though Donovan, if she and Inuyasha survive I will be highly disappointed in you and your . . . friend."  
  
Donovan placed a brilliant smile on his face, "You should not doubt the Dreamweaver's skill, but I'm afraid a little dog has interfered with your will, Lord Naraku. The two have most likely already returned to the past." Seeing that this displeased his master greatly, Donovan tried to smooth over the situation, "If they have yet to return, however, my men are waiting for them."  
  
"The girl cannot live, Mr. Donovan. Since you have expressed your incompetence, I shall have to send someone else to finish your work." A visible wave of anger crossed Donovan's face, but Naraku ignored it and continued, "I had expected such an event to destroy her will to live."  
  
A dark look still lingered in Donovan's eyes. The smile, however, never dropped from his lips, "My Lord, my apologies. I will not let you down further."  
  
And as his image faded, Naraku was quite positive that he wouldn't. Donovan had been perfect in every sense, refined for that time, brilliant, and lethal.  
  
"Kagura." Naraku called, summoning the wind youkai from where she had been spying on their conversation. If she showed any shame for her actions they were lost on him.  
  
"Yes?" Her voice was haughty. He knew that she didn't care for Donovan in the least and his failure to kill the girl and the hanyou only further served her crusade against him. There was still time, however. Now that moon was rising, there would be a better chance to finish what had been started the night before. Kanna had spotted the annoying monk and the wretched demon exterminator earlier in the day.  
  
"Get Kohaku. I have a new mission for you."  
  
========  
  
By the time the limo had pulled up two blocks from the shrine, the sun had already begun to set. Inuyasha was beyond frustrated at the time it had taken his brother to explain the situation to them. The anger was only surpassed by his eagerness to get back. Just because they had gathered more information didn't mean the youkai would necessarily stop their frenzy.  
  
It didn't mean he would have the will power not to shred the precious girl next to him apart.  
  
"Inuyasha!" Kagome whispered trying to catch his attention. He had been carrying her on his back, slowly creeping over and around the walls of the nearby houses to avoid being seen on the street. She was pressed tightly against him, her mouth only inches from his ear.  
  
And as bad timing as it was, he felt strangely . . . excited.  
  
"Inuyasha!" She whispered again, pointing in the direction of the shrine, "Look! There are at least two dozen police officers there now. We need to get past them without making a scene."  
  
And she smelled so nice . . .  
  
"INUYASHA!" She yanked on his ear, causing him to whip his head around furiously. Kagome repeated what she had said before, and he forced himself from his daze. There were ways to get around them, but his timing would be crucial. It might have been easier to destroy all the obstacles in his way with the Tetsusaiga, but his humanity had been nagging him about killing humans for over a year now. A low growl escaped his lips at his own fickleness.  
  
"Fine. Just hold on tight." Kagome did exactly as she was told. He slid over the last wall with agility that would have even made a cat jealous. Waiting for two female officers to snub out their cigarettes and go back inside, he darted from bush to bush until they reached the last set of them behind the well house.  
  
Like Inuyasha had expected, it was heavily guarded. A grin played upon his face -- only ten? Someone was seriously underestimating the pair. Kagome moved from his back soundlessly and crouched next to him.  
  
"Kagome," His voice was low and almost inaudible, "I'll create a distraction and you make a run for the well."  
  
"No, I'll create a distraction and you run for the well!" Her whisper was furious, enraged at the suggestion of leaving him behind. He obviously didn't realize what sort of firepower existed in her time if he was so willing to throw himself in front of bullets.  
  
"Don't be stubborn, wench!"  
  
"Look whose calling the kettle black--!" Kagome's words died on her lips as soon as she caught sight of a familiar tan blob. Where had it disappeared to last night?  
  
"Meoooow?" Buyo pranced over to their horrified faces. His tail sashayed back and forth.  
  
"You fucking bastard of a cat!" Inuyasha wanted to scream, but Kagome had placed a firm hand over his mouth.  
  
"Sshhhh! Buyo!" When the cat's meowing became louder, and it's body closer, "No! Be a good kitty for once in your life!" She was frantically waving him away when another voice spoke.  
  
"Hey Kuna, did you hear that?"  
  
"The cat's going crazy. It must be a bird or something. Just ignore it." The sound of heavy footsteps thundered in Inuyasha's ears as the two men walked by them. He pulled Kagome closer to him and farther down out of sight. As if on cue, the eight other guards exchanged places with eight other people. The rest moved silently into the house.  
  
They reminded Kagome of lifeless drones. She knew that under the spell she hadn't behaved in a way that was so doll-like. Her mind began to spurn out different explanations, but never seemed to truly process them. Inuyasha's heavy breathing had begun to have a negative affect on her attention span.  
  
"We're going to have to run together then." Inuyasha muttered, "We'll just surprise them-- climb on."  
  
Surprise them they did. Inuyasha's speed was blinding and left upturned and unconscious bodies in his wake without remorse. Kagome clenched her eyes shut as voices began to shout from the house.  
  
"Stop them!"  
  
"Don't let them get by!"  
  
"What are you waiting for?! Shoot them!"  
  
Inuyasha grumbled every swear word he had ever learned as he punched a woman police officer in the face. Several shots of ammunition were fired in their general direction though none of them hit their targets. Kagome breathed out a deep sigh of relief as the darkness of the well swallowed them whole. The hanyou's body seemed to release some tension as their feet made contact with the ground.  
  
Leaping up with ease, he was pleased to have the fresh air of the Sengoku Jidai hit his face, "Oi. Kagome. Are you all right? You're grippin' my neck like a crazy loon."  
  
He received no response, "Oi! Kagome!" He shook her slightly, craning his neck to get a better look at her face. She didn't say anything, just pointed in the direction of the village. Snapping his head around, he drank in the scene before him.  
  
The moonlight did nothing to hide the familiar signature of Kagura as she blitzed forward. Inuyasha began to run then, desperate to catch up to her before she reached what he knew was her ultimate destination. His feet stomped the soft earth, and his heart began beating wildly.  
  
Kagome gasped, having not seen the village in ruins earlier. From what he could see, Inuyasha picked out the new structures that had been put up in his absence.  
  
"Everyone's fine." He told her, unsure of why he felt the need to comfort her in that moment.  
  
Ahead, Kagura had stopped rather abruptly. This allowed Inuyasha and Kagome to catch up to her with less effort, and for them to see what forces had amassed to fight her off. As they approached virtually unnoticed, several things happened.  
  
Miroku, Sango, and Kaede stood at the front of a group of several village men. Miroku had a firm grasp on his rosary and the Hiraikotsu was poised for action. Shippou stood on top of a transformed Kirara, ready to help in anyway.  
  
"What a nice welcoming party." Kagura said snidely, "Quite different from yesterday when there weren't people to kill."  
  
"So it was you behind the destruction!" Miroku snapped.  
  
"Actually, no. But my friends behind you all played a crucial role." In response, the youkai that had been previously hidden all made themselves known. Sango appeared to be the only one unfazed by the development. Her eyes were more fixed on the little boy that had appeared to the wind youkai's right.  
  
"Have you come to finish the job then? To kill us all?" Kaede's grip on her bow increased as she aimed straight for Kagura's heart. The other laughed at the futile attempt.  
  
"You could say that. You might as well be digging your own graves-- you're all outnumbered and out of your league."  
  
Inuyasha decided this was a good of time as any to make his and Kagome's presence known. Letting the girl down, they moved to the other's line of vision, "I wouldn't be so sure of that, bitch."  
  
"Inuyasha!" Miroku and Sango's relieved exclamations were only out done by Shippou's.  
  
"Kagome! You're back!" A smile stretched across his face, and she favored him back with a small one. Shippou knew something was wrong; she hadn't given him her full pretty smile. Wasn't she better by now?  
  
"So you are back in this time." Kagura noted with disgust, "No matter; have fun boys." At her cue, the dozen youkai rushed forward. The men were equally prepared with whatever weapons they could scrounge up. A couple of Kaede's arrows made impact with targets, but did little to no damage. Kagura turned to leave, letting Kohaku take her former position, "Don't screw this up." She warned.  
  
"Where the fuck do you think you're goin'?!" Inuyasha demanded, unsheathing the Tetsusaiga. Kagura let out an exasperated sigh and dropped into what could be considered more of a battle stance.  
  
Kagome made her way through the carnage to where Kirara and Shippou were. Leaping onto the youkai's body she told the kitsune, "I need to find something to fight with!"  
  
"Kirara!" Shippou tugged on one of the cat youkai's ears, "Go to Kaede!" Kirara obliged, and the woman handed Kagome over her bow without so much as even a second thought.  
  
"Go back to where the others are; I think we'll be okay!" Kagome reassured the three, watching as Kirara took the protesting Shippou and calm Kaede away. Turning around, she was met with the anxious face of Miroku.  
  
"Are you all right, Kagome-sama?"  
  
"I'm fine! Let's go back!"  
  
He seemed to take her enthusiasm to fight as a sign of her strength returning. Backing up to each other, Kagome and Miroku scanned the area. The men of the village had done a considerably good job; only two youkai remained and four men lay dead. Kagome squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out the image.  
  
"Kohaku--!!" Sango's anguished cry sent Miroku and Kagome running in that general direction, "Please stop!"  
  
Kohaku gave her no indication that he recognized her and said nothing. Picking up his weapon, he sent it flying towards Kagome's head. Like lightening, the Hiraikotsu flashed up and blocked the strike. Once the chain had wrapped itself around the giant boomerang, Sango gave it a hard yank. Kohaku was sent flying forward toward her. His older sister saw the long knife flash in his hands and ducked, barely missing being decapitated.  
  
"Sango-chan!" Kagome called, warning her to be careful. Miroku's hand was on her shoulder, holding her back from interfering.  
  
At the sound of her voice, Kohaku looked up. His empty eyes met hers; sending chills up and down her spin like spiders. Something flickered then and he grunted, "Kill Kagome. Kill Kagome."  
  
"What?" Sango cried, "Kohaku! Please snap out of it!" Instead of yielding to her command, the boy ducked under her outstretched arm. Miroku threw himself in front of Kagome, only to be knocked backwards by the force of Kohaku's powerful kick. For a moment, there was nothing standing between Kohaku from reaching his final goal, save for her flimsy set of bow and arrows.  
  
But that was only for a moment.  
  
Like some horrid flashback, his knife was coming down upon her again. She was frozen, transfixed with both longing and fear for death.  
  
But as it was with the last time, her attacker was stopped before her death could be played out.  
  
For a moment, Kagome couldn't open her eyes.  
  
For a moment, Miroku couldn't breath.  
  
For a moment, Sango cried.  
  
Kohaku stumbled back, his own weapon protruding grossly from his back. He reached backward, ripping it out and letting it fall to the ground. Behind him, Sango still had her arm out-stretched, demonstrating perfect form and aim. When she finally opened her eyes, she saw her little brother-- the one that she had loved so much and had fought so hard for-- fall to the ground in a pool of his own blood. Kagome was still on the ground next to him, her hands pressed firmly to her mouth to stifle a scream.  
  
"On-Onee-chan?" A strangled voice mumbled drearily, both Kagome and Sango fixed their eyes on him in disbelief. His tone was full of longing and sadness.  
  
"I-!" Sango swallowed a sob, "I'm right here Kohaku." Kneeling down next to him, she took the young boy in her arms like a broken doll.  
  
"I'm scared . . ." He whispered, "Please don't leave me."  
  
"Never." She swore yet again, and he would never leave her.  
  
And it was in this same position that Kohaku drew in one final shuddering breath. Sango's bottom lip trembled terribly then, and she fought for some remote control. She had killed him. She had killed her own brother. Kagome had begun to cry again, though Sango could not find it in her heart to hate the girl for what she made her do-- in the end, like everything else, it had been her final decision. The younger girl stared at the body as if it would come alive again at any moment.  
  
"Souta? Wake up!"  
  
Miroku tried to put a comforting arm around Sango, but she shrugged him off roughly. The demon exterminator's face crumbled, leaving only a shell of total rage. She was desperate for anything to lash out on; she wanted to kill something for what she had done. There was only one more obstacle in her way.  
  
A sadistic smile crossed her face and she hoisted the Hiraikotsu behind her. Kagome and Miroku watched as she threw it with an untapped strength and limitless rage. The weapon knew its course. Unlike its human counterpart, it did not need direction. In a way, Miroku noted, it was as though she had become the weapon itself.  
  
The Hiraikotsu sliced through Kagura's unsuspecting form, leaving both herself and Inuyasha completely stunned. The wind youkai's mouth opened and closed silently-- not even a tortured scream filled the air. A tremendous wind rushed through the area as her body slid into two neat pieces.  
  
And then, there was silence.  
  
As the Hiraikotsu finally made its way back to its mistress' hand, even Inuyasha couldn't find the willpower to move. He looked to Kagome whose eyes never met his. The tears that had yet to fall in her eyes clued him in instantly. Miroku nodded his head in the direction of a slight form on the ground, whispering a prayer.  
  
Then, like the Hiraikotsu, Sango's anger came around in a full circle.  
  
"Is that all you've got, Naraku?! Is that all you have to stop me, you bastard?! Huh?!" Sango was shrieking into the night time air now, her entire body trembling, "You fucking coward! You fucking coward! Y-y-you . . .!" She stared at the blood on her hands, and strangely felt nothing at all.  
  
Once her screaming had dimmed to incomprehensible sobs, Kagome and Inuyasha were surprised to see the monk comforting her tenderly. Taking Sango in his arms, he hugged her to him tightly, rubbing her back as she cried into his robes. Kagome's heart squeezed tightly inside of her chest. Another brother was gone because of her, another innocent life destroyed. Inuyasha seemed to mask his fault better, suffocating an enraged howl at the night.  
  
The hanyou and the reincarnated priestess looked away then, as if the shame of it all would outlive them.  
  
========  
  
Shippou was now fully convinced his makeshift family was falling apart at the seams.  
  
Even now, hours after the battle was over, there were lingering tensions. Sango had wandered around restlessly until she and Miroku had left to lay Kohaku to rest with the rest of the Taiji-ya. Kagome, whom he had been so desperate to see, could not even bring herself to smile.  
  
"You're not a failure." Inuyasha looked down at the kitsune as they approached the hiding place of the rest of the villagers. He had run out to meet them, only to be halted by the disheartened mood in the air. Shippou had continued, "They all know that." But instead of getting angry or embarrassed, Inuyasha merely looked to the side. Shippou wanted to cry right then and there.  
  
The situation was further aggravated by Inuyasha's discovery of Kouga sleeping amongst the other villagers. At about the same time, Kouga cracked an eye open after catching his scent.  
  
"Where the hell have you been, Inukkoro?"  
  
If Inuyasha had not been so physically, emotionally, and mentally tired, he would have gutted the youkai right then and there. When Kagome emerged from behind him, dressed in a strange outfit he had never seen her in, Kouga leapt to his feet as if the poison had dropped off at the mere sight of her.  
  
"Kagome!" He rushed over and clasped her hands. Inuyasha's own were fisted very tightly, but he tried to remain calm-- for her sake.  
  
"Kouga . . ." Kagome began very slowly, gently pulling her hands away tiredly, "Kaede said you were sick. You need to lie back down."  
  
"Your mere presence has strengthened me!" Kouga tried giving her a dazzling smile. When it had not even the slightest effect on her, he became a bit angry. Further investigation would reveal a certain someone's disgustingly familiar scent on her. While it was true the scent was always at least partially there, this time it was so . . . overwhelming, that Kouga felt the bottom drop out of his stomach.  
  
"What the fuck did you do to her?" Kouga's hand was still attached to one of Kagome's, and when he turned to confront the hanyou, she was sent sprawling forward. Her exhausted body lunged straight towards the ground and Inuyasha barely caught her before she fell. The hanyou pressed her up against his chest tightly; her face was buried in the top of his shirt. With her ear against his chest, she could hear the increase of speed in his heartbeat. A low growl vibrated in his chest, threatening any further contact between Kouga and Kagome.  
  
"None of your fucking business, wimpy wolf." A malicious smile crossed his face.  
  
Kouga was furious now, "Let go of my woman, shit for brains!" Inuyasha, however, increased his grip on Kagome and smiled even broader. Kagome realized that she should have moved from his embrace before she was trapped in it, but Inuyasha would have none of that. He was using her against Kouga, she thought angrily, and he was torturing the wolf youkai.  
  
"Inuyasha," She pleaded, "Don't start a fight now. Please, not after tonight." Her words were lost on him. If he had understood or heard any of them, Inuyasha gave no indication of compliance. The other villagers began to finally disperse at the battle looming over them. Kaede moved to warn Inuyasha not to fight, but Shippou beat her to it.  
  
"Snap out of it, Inuyasha!" He wailed. Inuyasha's head snapped back to look at him and he barked something to him that Kagome couldn't understand. Something struck her then, and she remembered what he had said earlier to his half brother. The demon bloodlust was upon them, and judging by his agitated posture, Kouga was being affected by it as well. It might have been her imagination, but the moonlight seemed to shine directly on them now; the rise and fall of Inuyasha's chest became more frantic. Shippou immediately backed down, but the tears welled up in his eyes.  
  
"It hurts me too, but you're not even going to fight it tonight?"  
  
The glint of red in the hanyou's eyes indicated that he would not. Kouga growled something to Inuyasha that reached his ears alone; it must have had something to do with Kagome, because his readjusted her so her entire body was pressed against him. She took in a shuddering breath. Even if she was to sit him to snap him out of it, she would be crushed underneath this weight and the force of it all.  
  
Kouga let out a cry that sounded akin to a wild animal being strangled as he dove for the pair. Inuyasha released Kagome and shoved her out of the way to bring the Tetsusaiga up to meet his blow. Even with the sword fully intact and in his hands, it was obvious that he was struggling to maintain control of himself.  
  
"Guys, please stop!" She called. Several people from the village held her back from trying to interfere. Even Kaede watched with impassive eyes, her expression unreadable.  
  
'At this rate, they'll kill each other!' Her mind was screaming.  
  
Kouga managed to land a swipe on Inuyasha's check. The hanyou flew back a few feet, but remained standing. His index finger came up to inspect the wound, and when he pulled it away, it was covered with his own blood. Kagome and Shippou watched in dull horror as he licked it clean, a feral smile on his face.  
  
He held the Tesusaiga out in front of him, and dropped it to the ground.  
  
Red overcame his vision, and Kagome stifled a scream. Shippou buried his face in her jeans, trying to hide his eyes from the scene. There was no way that this battle would end pleasantly.  
  
'If he dies now . . .' Kagome was suddenly terrified of the consequences. If Kouga killed Inuyasha, then what Sesshoumaru had said would become true, but if Inuyasha killed Kouga . . .  
  
There would be nothing holding him back from doing so. Even if it lived in his conscious forever, even if it scarred him for life, nothing would hold him back for slitting the wolf youkai's throat.  
  
Kouga moved to stand from where Inuyasha had knocked him down only moments before. He let out a howl, his own eyes darkened by the desire to rip his opponent's eyes out. Inuyasha responded with a bark that made Shippou's hands fly to his ears.  
  
"Stop them!" He cried, "Stop them!"  
  
"What is he saying, young Shippou?" Kaede gently inquired.  
  
"It's awful! Inuyasha is going to kill him for touching Kagome." Shippou looked to the girl with his eyes pleading, "Please, sit him!"  
  
'If I do that,' she thought sadly, 'Kouga will just rip him apart while he's down.' She couldn't just sit by and let this happen. There had been so much tragedy in the past few days that her heart could not take any more of it.  
  
'I'll protect you...' his words ran through her mind over and over until she had made up her mind what to do.  
  
They were rushing towards each other again, but Kagome took this as her chance. Breaking free from the grasp of the villagers, she threw herself in between the two.  
  
"Stop!" She hollered, closing her eyes tightly. If they couldn't stop by themselves, maybe her death would break them out of it.  
  
But they didn't, and even Kaede couldn't stifle her scream.  
  
========  
  
Sorry for the cliffhanger. :x I'll be gone all of next week in California, so expect another chapter sometime after that. This chapter was over 36 pages long, and I seriously hope it was worth reading!  
  
2003 Ophelia 3 


	6. Part 5: The Path of Excess

Warning!  This chapter (as well as the previous ones and the ones soon to follow) contains some really vulgar language, violence, and gore.  It's nothing out of character, but it might be offensive if you're a Church-goin' folk.

Note:  Wow!  Thank you all for the really kind words and comments!  I know a few of you had doubts about the way Kagome/Sesshoumaru interacted (and the fact she seemed a little bit _too_ cheery for someone having gone through that much trauma), but I promise that it'll make sense.  The scene felt really awkward to me too at first, but Kagome will explain herself in a little bit.  ^^  All the more reason for you to keep reading, right? ;)

Much love Ju; I'm going to miss you _so much while you're gone.  This past summer you've become more than a sister to me—you're my other half.  My brain doesn't function well without you!  Thank you especially for always supporting and checking over the chapters for me.  And now it's finally time to round up yer soul suckahs. ;)_

I almost called this chapter "Foil"—see if you can figure out why. ^^

========

**A Thousand Years**

(Part 5: The Path of Excess)

By Mourning Ophelia

Disclaimer Janx:  no own, no money, no sueeee.

========

"The path of excess leads to the tower of wisdom."

- William Blake

========

It had to be a game to someone above, she reasoned.  

After all, not one single run-in with death had landed her in a premature grave.  Lately, it seemed as though Death's hand was constantly running through her hair, whispering a promise of certain demise.  Sometimes when she closed her eyes and tried to sleep, she'd see him standing there, just staring down at her.  And yet, always it was slapped away before her neck could be broken like a helpless baby bird.  Either she had the devil's luck or some God on her side. . . 

. . . because Higurashi Kagome was still very much alive. 

She hadn't needed her eyes open to know what happened.  Inuyasha had sensed her movement and recognized that she was not his enemy.  The fierce anger and rage she had sensed before in his heart had snapped at the epiphany.  It was replaced by something more frantic—more panicked.   Kouga continued his assault, oblivious to her slight presence.  Seeing this, Inuyasha brought Kagome against his chest again, his fist slicing upwards to collide with the wolf youkai's face.  He was prepared, however, blocking Inuyasha's blow and making a move to slash the hanyou's chest.  

It felt like they were dancing; the hanyou knew that his precious human girl had been placed in harm's way by none other than himself.  Desperate to protect her, he turned his back to the onslaught and covered Kagome.  A howl of pain split the silence of the heavy moonlight as Kouga's claws bit into his back viciously.  The desperation of his assault left a bitterness that lingered in the air and spread like a foul cancer.  Kagome sensed it immediately, knowing that the growl that was building in Inuyasha's chest would revert him back to his state of primal rage.  He gently shoved Kagome aside then, slashing at the air dangerously.  From behind her, Kagome could hear Shippou's cries of relief.

'_This isn't over yet . . .'_ A frown marred her strained face.  Her plan hadn't worked after all.

'_I can't give up yet!' _Her mind spun_, 'After all he's done for me--!'  _

The brute force of Inuyasha's next attack knocked Kouga backwards at least a dozen feet and left him panting, but otherwise unmoving.  Her breath was held in anxious anticipation as Inuyasha inspected the damage he had created.  Kagome's heart clenched painfully in her chest, and she forced air into her lungs.  Would he see that he had been the final victor and stop this madness?  

A single clawed hand was raised in the air above the wolf youkai.  Inuyasha's true intentions soundlessly rang through the night time air and stabbed at her heart again and again.  In one final, desperate act to save his humanity, Kagome moved again just as Inuyasha went in for the final strike.

Tightly wrapping her arms around him from behind, she tried to blink back the tears that were seeping through her tightly closed lids.  His back was warm against her cheek, and the feeling that it brought nearly caused her to collapse against him.

"Calm down," her plea was hardly above a whisper, "I'm right here.  I'm fine.  I won't leave you."

His body tensed under her affection, and the claw remained hanging in the air.  Both ears were quivering against his head tightly, as if he was trying to deny access to what her voice was begging for.

"He doesn't mean anything to me.  Please, you don't have you kill him.  You're the one I care for the most!"  Kagome didn't care that she was babbling, or the fact that she had just admitted her undying devotion to the hanyou in front of a vast audience.  The last statement finally seemed to have some affect on him.  Inuyasha turned his head slightly, as if trying to wake up from a long, endless dream.

"I've been trying to hide how sad I felt about my family . . .  so we could destroy this evil-- but it still hurts.  It hurts _so badly!"  She forced her eyes open, squeezing his chest tighter as her tears stained the haori she had worn only a night before.    
  
_

"If you leave me and become a horrible monster--!"  She gasped for air, choking on her words, "If _you_ leave me too, I have _nothing left_!"  Only Kagome's heavy tears creased the quiet of the air.

Scarlet eyes blinked lazily then, and when they re-opened, there was a reward of brilliant gold-- like a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.  He was confused, worried.  What had happened?  What had he done to make her cry so terribly?

"K-k-kagome?"  He had never heard his voice shake as dreadfully as it did at that moment.  It was pleasing to him that her crying had stopped.  She released her hold on him almost immediately, and stepped back.  There was no lingering scent of fear drifting in the air, but he couldn't help but feel empty, "What happened?"

Kagome all but buckled on to the ground in overwhelming relief.  Burying her face in her hands, she let Shippou speak volumes for her.  

"You tried to kill Kouga, but you ended up almost killing Kagome!  You—You--You _bastard_!"  He was crying too, and his voice was strained, "You couldn't control yourself because of the bloodlust!"  Even Shippou himself couldn't discern whether or not his tears were ones of anger, grief, or overwhelming respite.  At this point, Inuyasha was mowing through fields of denial.  He couldn't have been so weak as to fall into such a dangerous state . . . But, the more he thought about it, the harder he wished that it wasn't the case, the more the truth became blaringly obvious before his eyes.

There were many times that Inuyasha had desired nothing more than to rip Kouga's bleeding heart out and shove it down his throat.  Kagome had always interfered, leaving a sour taste in his mouth.  Even now, after they had been through so much together, she chose to save the wolf over him.  He hadn't done anything wrong by it--he had protected his territory.  The strong always controlled the weak, and he was responsible for his pack.  Even as his hazy instincts fled to the corner of his mind and the realization that he had won the fight remained, he was still left with the undeniable fact that Kouga had been the one to truly become the final champion. 

It was tragically poetic, and yet, at the same time, remarkably heartbreaking.

She had started crying again, and Shippou moved his attention from Inuyasha back to comforting her.  Kagome clung to him like a girl would to a stuffed animal that she confessed all her worries to.  Inuyasha stared, the hardness of it piercing the ground.  Maybe if it had been spring there would have been flowers to mark the spot of his death; his own personal grave.  Maybe it was a personal catharsis for them both.

Maybe it was something that neither one was meant to understand.

As the villagers retreated back to their disturbed slumber, and Kaede bowed out of his sight, he remained standing; an over-seer of emotional slaves, a king of a personal hell.  

'_Fucking wolf,'_ He turned back to face Kouga's prone form, '_If only—! You don't even know what you're dealing with!'   _But then again, neither did he.  

And that was the scariest thought of all.

In the end, there was nothing he could say to make the situation better, or to ease any of the pain caused by it.  There was nothing left for him to do but flee into the forest that masked the rising sun, letting the wind softly carry his apology back to her.  

========

Miroku knew that Sango was a proud woman, but the situation was bordering on insanity.  

They had been walking for the past five hours without saying more than two words to the other.  She had insisted on dragging the cart that carried Kohaku's body.  When he had moved to alleviate the obvious strain she was experiencing, Sango had picked up speed and moved past him.  He himself was a very strong man both physically and mentally, able to go for long distances without much sleep or food for fuel.  It was Miroku's nature to be one with the world and at peace.

Therefore, it was his responsibility to cry weak and bruise his ego.  It was for her, after all.

"Sango," he began, plopping down on the nearest rock jutting from the ground, "I need to rest for a moment."

Much like he had expected, Sango kept walking.  

_'Think,' he scolded himself, __'What could you do that would make this situation--?'_

Make the situation what?  More relaxed?  _Well again?_

What a ridiculous notion.

He moved quickly then, catching up to her in a few well-executed strides.  Miroku pried her hands from their white-knuckle grip, letting the cart tip forward with the new lack of balance.

"Miroku!"  Sango cried, trying to pull away from him desperately.  The fact that she had chosen to call him by his given name rather than his title seemed to throw the circumstances in a completely different direction.  She was now frantically struggling against him, her lips moving in soundless shrieks.  If Miroku had been counting on her tiring out, he would have been severely disappointed by her new surge of strength.  She had almost escaped, but Miroku became infinitely stronger and wiser by the second.  The actuality that he wasn't trying to grope her or hug her . . . the fact that the look in his eyes was sympathetic for her and not his own personal sorrow . . . it was all the more galling.

"Let me go!" Sango's voice was high pitched, but Miroku was unaffected.

"Sango—,"

"Stop it! _Stop it!_  I have to bury Kohaku!"

"Calm down, Sango--!"

"Let me _go_!"  Sango tried to swing her arms wildly, but found herself backed up against a tree before she could protest further. 

"Please, calm down . . ." Miroku was beginning to find it just a _little _hard to be one with the earth and at peace.

"I _HATE you! _Don't_ touch me!!" Sango all but screamed._

Miroku pressed his lips against hers fiercely, silencing the rest of her scathing outburst.  It was like deep burning in the pits of her stomach-- wrong but so incredibly right.  She continued to protest until every shred of worth was taken from her body, and she let him break the kiss and hug her tightly.  They stood in remote silence, like two islands in a single ocean, until Miroku finally began to vent his own anger.

"Don't you _ever,_" his voice was low and dangerous, "say that again, Sango."

She turned her face into his robes as if to bury her shame in them.  It was obvious to her now that he had been right all along, and that she had been too forward in her own desire to see her brother meet a peaceful rest.  All of her life she had been trained to guard her heart against feelings that would cause a fit such as the one before—to be able to fight and protect those closest to her.  

. . . to love them, and be loved by them . . .

Didn't Miroku see?  Didn't he understand?  The whole outlook of their situation was so devastating that she was almost willing to bury herself with her brother.  It wasn't right that she was the last to survive; stories of destiny and fate meant nothing in the face of tragedy.  And if she was, honestly, apart of some greater purpose, then why was she resigned to sobbing like a little girl in the arms of the man she had grown to love?

Miroku gently sat down next to the tree, leaning his back against it and Sango against him.  If he closed his eyes, he could almost make out the feeling of the world moving.  The deep roots of the tree spread like sinews, the wind carrying a far off story, and the beating of two hearts as a single entity.  He would never be sure how much time had progressed since the sun began to rise, but the blurred lines of pink and violet gave him the courage to speak again.

"Are you hungry?"  Sango was relived to once again hear the soft, concerned voice she had grown accustomed to.  If it was possible, the monk could make you feel like the most protected and loved person in the world with just a single question.

Sango shook her head, still unwilling to speak.  Miroku ran a hand up and down her back kindly, an attempt to further calm her nerves.

"Miroku," Sango's small voice began, "If we don't keep moving . . ."  

So his original fears had been correct after all.  In the back of his mind, ever since he first laid eyes on the body, Miroku had wondered how long it would be before the child was reborn.  It hadn't turned into whether or not any of the original Kohaku would remain, it had become a question of how much more Sango could take before she fully lost it.  

"If you're worried about Naraku coming for him, then maybe we could find some other place to put him to rest?"

Even though Kagome had removed the Shikon shard from his body, Sango knew Naraku's supply was not limited to just that one.  Deep in her river of denial, she had convinced herself that Naraku would not need him anymore and would not wish to revive him.  

But now that her mind was clearer, and the sun had begun to rise, Sango knew exactly what she had to do.  

Pulling herself out of Miroku's embrace, she calmly walked to the cart and lifted it up again.  Kohaku's body hadn't been disturbed by her prior abandonment of it.   The priest scuffled up quietly, taking one of her hands in his larger one.

"Can I help you?"

"No," a sad smile touched her face, "this is my burden."

As they walked into the fading night their shoulders brushed.  Sango could have sworn she felt a surge of strength surge through her heart with each step.  She took it as a sign that her course of action would be the correct one when push came to shove.  

Night came and passed again, and it wasn't until the third day that they came to the former home of the demon exterminators.  Miroku watched as his companion straightened, but she kept her resolve tight.  She marched through the broken gate as though she had never been gone at all.  

He had to admit that he was deathly confused by the fact that she bypassed the burial site of the rest of the villagers.  Under any normal circumstance he would have voiced his bewilderment.  Rather than question her good sense, he followed her into the heart of the village.  The wooden wheels of the cart creaked as they hit the uneven earth.  And, as he watched her stop to pile and stack several wooden panels of debris around the cart, Miroku finally understood. 

But, maybe he always had.

Kohaku remained atop of the make-shift burial pyre.  Miroku spoke several prayers over his body as Sango neatly lined up other wood scrapings around the cart-turned-pyre.  Laying the last piece of wood down, Sango at last realized that she could not stall any longer.    

It hadn't been as hard as she thought it would be.  The single spark eventually caught the rest of the wood and burned with the passion of Sango's heart.

'_He'll be safe now._' Sango's sad smile returned as Miroku placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, _'He won't have to suffer any longer._'

"There's a legend that they used to tell the children of this village," Sango began after a long while, her voice surprisingly calm, "There was a small sparrow that was loved by its mother, even though it was too small and weak to fly away with its brothers and sisters.  Eventually, the mother had to leave the nest as well.  The little sparrow cried and cried until an old turtle came along.

"He asked her why she was crying, and she explained it was because she could not fly.  The old turtle looked to the bird and smiled.   'One cannot always fly,' he told the sparrow, 'but it should not hinder one from walking upright.'

"The sparrow watched the turtle until he vanished, but took his advice.  She flapped and flapped as hard as she could until she could slide over the top of the nest.  One hop, two hops, three hops, the sparrow was finally flying its own flight."

Miroku smiled at the message, kissing her on the temple.  Turning her face to drink in the morning's light, her eyes were lost in a far away look.

_'Kohaku, one day we'll met again.  I hope that I can make you and father as proud of me as I was of you . . .'  A calm settled over her heart._

When the fire and stench of burnt earth finally dimmed to a mere whisper, Sango led Miroku away.  There were several of things she needed to take with her before they returned to the others.  Miroku was silent again as she rummaged through mounds of scattered scrolls in one ruined home, and picked up different weapons from another.  He offered to take up all of the weight back to Kaede's village.  Sango had dutifully taken up the feather-light scrolls, but hadn't bothered to tell him what they read.  Miroku, in a way, sincerely wished at least one of his hands were free so that he might have taken up one of hers in it.  But the thought of her made the load feel lighter.  He was carrying with him information and tools that would likely aid the group in their quest.

 . . . and Sango's smile--which luckily weighed nothing at all.   

========

Shippou watched Kagome with a wary eye, standing guard over her prone form.  A few of the villagers took pity on Kouga and tried to dress his wounds, moving him away from where the battle had taken place.  When the sun began to rise, it was just the two of them left.  It was sometime after Inuyasha had vanished that Kagome had finally moved.  She might have remained frozen in time in that position forever, had not a glint of silver had caught the corner of her eye.  The kitsune's feet scurried closer to the girl as she pushed herself up.  

Kagome walked with a certain restraint over to the discarded Tetsusaiga.  Shippou leapt onto her shoulder, examining the find for himself.  Sure enough, her suspicions were confirmed by the sight of a rusty blade and ratty hilt.  If the sword was here and Inuyasha wasn't, it meant that . . .

"Oh my God."  Kagome whispered, clenching the sword's hilt tightly in her hand.  

"We have to find him!"  Shippou cried, wrapping his arms around her neck.  Kagome stroked his matted hair with her free hand.  Her eyes narrowed slightly; Inuyasha had run away, meaning that he wouldn't be found until he wanted to be found.  They were running the risk of serious devastation when Inuyasha's control finally snapped again.  Where would he be?  What would he be doing?

What would happen to him . . .?

"I'll find him," Kagome promised, "but I want you to stay here with the villagers." 

"No!"  Shippou yelled just a little too close to her ear.  Kagome flinched as he continued.

"I won't let you go!  Everyone is leaving and I don't want to be alone!"

Her heart began to thunder loudly in her chest.  Shippou jumped down to stand in front of her just as she clenched a hand over her heart and closed her eyes.

"Shippou, you have to stay with the villagers to protect them, and you need to wait for Sango and Miroku to come back."  She would _not_ cry.

"You're leaving me?"  Shippou's eyes began to water over, "Mama said she would come right back and she never did!  How do I know you'll come back?!"  Kagome's eyes softened at his revelation.  In a way, she had always been curious as to what Shippou's mother was like.  The story behind it all was horrifyingly sad, but she had always envisioned an extremely loving kitsune as his mother.  Someone who loved him unconditionally, and told him stories to get him to go to sleep at night; a mother who was very much like her own.

"It will only be for a little while, I promise.  When I bring Inuyasha back, we can all go find the rest of the shards," a sorrowful smile overtook her features, "I won't have to leave you ever again."

Shippou was confused and thrilled at the same time.  On one hand, Kagome was promising to stay with him forever, but on the other, she was totally disregarding her family.  Maybe her mama had given her permission to stay with him?  But, that would mean no more chocolate or yummy ramen . . . well, he weighed out the situation. Kagome was much better than the two put together.

Shippou puffed his chest out a little bit, "I'll protect everyone!  You can believe in me, Kagome!"

Kagome knelt down and patted him on the head, "That's my brave boy."  Finally, she smiled for him.  If he had been older, he might have been able to pull away the layers of grief, loss, and hope under it.  But, being the kid he was, he recognized it as her sign of affection and was grateful.

The reincarnated priestess had absolutely no idea where to start looking, other than the God Tree.  She looked everywhere for a flash of red, or even a strand of silvery hair, but came up with basically nothing.  Kagome's initial panic and worry had been replaced by the usual aggravation she felt whenever the hanyou did something incredibly stupid.  Her stomping feet cut into the ground without mercy.

_OF COURSE he couldn't have fled to the most logical place.  _OF COURSE_-- he was _Inuyasha._ _

As one could imagine, her hold on the untransformed Tetsusaiga was never loose.  The sword would protect her so long as she kept it nearby.  Part of the reason she hadn't wanted Shippou to tag along was because she knew that she would not be able to fully protect anyone other than herself with it.  It was better to have the little one back home and safe.  

Kagome did not have to be a girl scout to realize that she had wandered dangerously far into the forest by lunch time.  The deep grumble in her stomach nearly caused her to double over.  Overlaying dense foliage of the trees cast an eerie glow that sent shivers up and down her spine.  She probably could have come up with a better plan rather than do all this wandering—who knew what sort of youkai and samurai were wandering around aimlessly also?  

"That _jerk."  She sniffed, the fear finally sinking in.  Kagome opened her mouth to call for him, but decided not to risk attracting too much attention to her timidity.  Youkai were able to smell fear from miles and miles away, so maybe if she got herself angry enough they'd be scared off?  It wasn't a bad plan; so long as the youkai were intimidated by her angry aura they'd back off.  Images of Inuyasha insulting her body, chasing after Shippou, dragging her back to the Sengoku Jidai . . ._

 . . . all did absolutely nothing but make her miss him even more. 

Kagome sighed.

While it was true that she had promised Shippou she would return with Inuyasha in tow, she was at the end of her very, _very short rope.  Coming into the next clearing with a frown marring her face, Kagome stopped dead in her tracks._

It was like a suicidal déjà vu happening in almost four different planes of existence.  The dry river bed, the stones, everything—it took her no longer than to remember to breathe to know where she was.  

This was where she had slipped into the empty place.  The thought shook her back into reality.  It had been days since she had received the warning from Emiko.  Days since she had made her promise, even.  After things calmed down (or she at least found Inuyasha), Kagome had originally decided to try to contact the raven haired girl.  She, after all, seemed to know a lot more than she let on.    Kagome let her vision become blurred at the memory, but no tears fell.  Now wasn't the time, but she knew that it would be sooner than later.

"Inuyasha . . ." She glanced around, her eyes again filling with tears of frustration.  It was strangely horrifying to her then, as if the true situation had broke above her head like a sunset.  Somewhere in the back of her mind, she had earnestly prayed that he would catch her scent and come to her.  But he obviously hadn't, and she was basically a free treat for any youkai that would not succumb to the Tetsusaiga or what little powers she possessed as a priestess in training.  Her options were becoming quite slim, however, and she realized she needed to make the decision whether or not to go back to the village, or keep running around without a clue where she was.  It was the safest route; maybe she could even bring Shippou or Kirara with her when it was morning 

And break her promise to Shippou?  Never.

She was resolved to keep looking, even if it meant camping out in some remote shrubbery.  The memory of what had happened with the snake youkai was adding to her rapidly decreasing comfort, and left Kagome without certainty that she would be able to do it again.

   Another stroke of genius struck her then.  Since she was already lost beyond belief, it wouldn't really matter which direction she would be taking.  If Kagome became so lost that she was eaten or went into the northern or southern lands, maybe _then Inuyasha would come out of hiding.  It was desperate, but it was at least a plan._

'_All right,_' Kagome thought, biting her lip in anticipation, '_let's see how well you know your master!'_

Taking the Tetsusaiga in one hand, she held it out in front of her.  Her trick was elementary, really.  In fact, she even remembered being chosen countless times for kickball in the same fashion.  She spun around, counting backwards from three.

3 . . .

2 . . . 

1 . . . 

Stop.

Her initial dizziness wore off after shaking her head, but a new since of nausea slapped against the pits of her stomach.  The sword had stuck into something red and soft—and incredibly alive.  Keeping her eyes low, it wasn't until many moments later that she allowed herself to follow the blade up to inspect the animal she had nearly disemboweled.

"Yo."  Inuyasha greeted monotonously.

Kagome shrieked girlishly, having been caught off guard _and_ in a moment of weakness. She stumbled backwards a half a dozen feet, the Tetsusaiga pointed out in front of her.  Inuyasha scoffed at the mental image of her actually being able to defend herself with it.

"You _scared me half to death!_"  She cried, still clutching at her chest.  Inuyasha raised an eyebrow, taking the Tetsusaiga from her outstretched hand.  Truth be told, he had spent the last hour or so trying to retrace his path to find where he might have dropped it—all the while cursing his supreme stupidity.  Although it was true his alarm was not even equaled by any other event up to that point in time, it was an experience he would never wish to repeat.  

Sounds and smells were different without it, and he wasn't sure how he had gotten by before it came into his life.  The closest sensation he could relate it to was like that weed he had seen humans smoking in their pipe contraptions, but only in the sense that he had become dependant on its subduing effects.  He twirled it back and forth between his hands as if to inspect for any further damage.  If Kagome had picked it up, it either meant that he had lost it in his fight with Kouga, or he really _had dropped it._

"You dropped it while fighting Kouga."  Kagome explained, as if reading his mind, "Shippou and I thought you'd need it."  Inuyasha blinked, wondering what had possessed him to fight with Kouga in the first place.  Some dark corner of his mind nagged that he must have released his hold on the sword as a boost to his power.  His brow crinkled in annoyance; Inuyasha would rather be fully in control of his mind and reserve his powerful youkai blood for desperate situations.  He might have been an angry person by nature, but the sword was the most valuable object in his possession.  Nothing that Kouga had said to him remained within his memory, leaving him with virtually nothing to hang from.  

"What the fuck do you think I am? A crazed animal or somethin'?!"  

Inuyasha was as angry as she'd ever seen him.   What she did not realize, however, was that it was more of a projection of his frustration with himself.  In the end, he _was a crazed blood thirsty animal who __did desire to tear creatures apart.  She was disgusted by this—she had to be.  Kikyou had always resented that side of him.  She scolded him when he brought her game he had captured himself for her to take back to the villagers.  Hell, he had been foolishly willing to become human for her, even if it was just to have her look fondly on him even just once . . . to _love_ him._

His mother left him alone to starve and shiver in the unforgiving night.  He had been ridiculed by village children, beaten by the humans that had done the same to his mother in the days before.  If Inuyasha closed his eyes, he could still see the red seeping into the light rose of his mother's kimono, her soft voice telling him to run away.  

But no, he couldn't.  When his father had left them there he made the hanyou promise to never leave his mother's side—to always protect her.  Inuyasha couldn't remember his voice or face, or even the feel of his strong arms as they carried him. In a way, the realization left him feeling all the more bitter and irate.  

He scratched, bit, crawled.  Tore apart, laughed, cried.  

The day his mother died, was the day that he killed for the first time.  

It had been a village boy, no more than ten or eleven.  Inuyasha himself was almost seven.  He couldn't get the men away from his mother, so he had followed what the voices in his head told him to do.  Inuyasha clawed right through the boy who was trying to whisk him away to safety. 

The boy, who had been his only friend, left him.  Kikyou, who had been the only person to relate to his solitude, had left him.  His mother, the only woman to love him unconditionally, had left him.  

And he had killed them all.

  Taking a timid step back, Kagome was almost too afraid to speak, "No!  What are you _talking about?"  _

He would kill the precious girl in front of him; if not now, sooner than later.  Didn't she see that fate had damned him to be forever alone?  Maybe he could get her to leave him perpetually . . . but she was alone too now, save for the people in this time who could protect her no better than moths.  Inuyasha didn't care about Sesshoumaru's warnings.  Naraku wasn't even a priority anymore.  He just wanted to run away and be alone again.  It was the only sure way for Kagome to live.  She was already horrified of him, anyway.  To her, he was a savage monster.

Inuyasha stalked toward her, a growl escaping the prison of his fangs, "Just admit it already, bitch!  You're scared of me!"

Kagome flinched as if she'd been physically struck.  Somehow she had backed herself up to the large stone she had sat and watched her friends from previously, "No, I--!"

"I started thinking about when my bastard of a brother said the dream spiders brought out your biggest fears or whatever.  Kagome!  Will you stop backing away already?!"  He grabbed one of her delicate wrists and held her in place, "And that means that you were afraid of me because you could hardly look at me without screaming and running away—dammit, Kagome!  _LISTEN._"  Inuyasha released her wrist, but slammed both hands down around her prone to the boulder below, essentially trapping her like a caged mouse. Kagome's expression was generally phased, and her dark hair had begun to fall out of its braid.

"Are you _scared_ of me, Kagome?"  The severity of his tone struck a deep chord in her heart.

"N-n-no!  Please, Inuyasha—you don't understand!"  She tried to duck under his arms, completely unnerved by his show of strong emotion. Inuyasha was so angry that he could have cried.  He wanted her to sit him and run away, to just leave him like everyone else.  There were no promises that he could even protect her anymore, because there was no way to protect her from himself.  It must have been why she longed for Kouga, who was not nearly as ferocious and horrendous.  He had promised her a future, but the only hand Inuyasha could death with death.. 

"Are you scared of me, Kagome?  Is _that_ why you like _Kouga_ better?"  Her struggling halted immediately at the mention of the wolf youkai's name.  So he hadn't understood anything that she had told him, had he?  Kagome had always known the hanyou to be angry and jealous of the wolf youkai.  Kouga was verbose and open about the emotions she craved Inuyasha to feel towards her.  Inuyasha had Kikyou in his heart, however, and she was shelved material.  Even if he did care for her in the slightest, he would never be able to come outright and admit it point blank like the wolf youkai.  It had become a little guessing game of emotions; one day, only one would remain in his heart.

And, perhaps, that's why she loved him all the more.

Inuyasha's voice had become very strained, "Tell me!  Do you love Kouga because he doesn't scare you like I do?"

The question drained him, and he slumped forward slightly to take in her scent. His cheek touched the feathery texture of her hair, and left him feeling absolutely nothing at all.  Somehow, Kagome managed to find the strength to push him away slightly now that his arms had gone limp.  She should have sat him when she had the chance—maybe it would have knocked the nonsense out of his thick skull.  Kagome was running out of fuel; she was emotionally exhausted, and physically tired.  In all honesty, she just wanted to curl up and cry.  Her family . . .  and now this?

"Please, stop . . .!  You're worrying me . . ." Her weak beg came out no louder than a whisper.  

If it wasn't Inuyasha she was dealing with, she would have sworn the person was crying.  

Inuyasha stumbled forward a few steps past, burying his face in his hands as braced himself against the rock.  God, did she think he had been trying to force himself on her?  With a smaller voice than before he warned, "You should be afraid.  I'll kill you."

Kagome figured out what was going on immediately.  She pulled herself up to sit on the top of the boulder, leaning his head against her lap.  A year ago, both would have been flustered and utterly horrified at the display of affection.  But now it was different.  Kagome considered Inuyasha to be the closest person to her, someone who at least partially understood what was going on in her head.  Her heart was a completely different matter, however, and it had become blazingly apparent. 

"Calm down," she repeated softly, "I'm right here.  I'm fine.  I won't leave you."  

Kagome's confession calmed him.  His breathing seemed to return to normal, and he closed his eyes and took in her scent yet again.  Strands of memories of his mother comforting him flashed in his mind.  Inuyasha's body seemed to lose a fraction of its former tension, but he still stood unconvinced even as she continued, "You were the one that saved me because I tried to get in between the fight and stop you two."

Her hand went to the rips at his back, stroking them with her index finger.  Apparently, the fire mouse haori needed longer to regenerate.  Inuyasha looked up, his distraught and astonished face meeting her own, "I didn't--?"

She hadn't understood after all.  It wouldn't be now, but in the future.  Kagome would never have to know the pain he felt whenever he looked at her or touched her.  It was unnatural, but at the same time, completely right.  Once, Kagome had explained about the dogs in her time, and how they required constant love and caring from humans.  He had thought the dogs were just dull; they should have been more than able to take care of themselves.  But later that night as he looked down from over the campfire, he had at least partially understood.

  Inuyasha needed to be taken care of too.  
  


"No, of course no."  She pulled her hand away, slightly embarrassed, "Shippou was very upset, and he took it out on you." 

And maybe, if he could stay with her for even just a little longer . . . 

Inuyasha snorted, trying to write it off as no big deal, "Still doesn't change the fact you didn't let me kill the bastard."

He could pretend.  Sometimes it was easier than living.

The entire mood was ruined with that one sentence.  Kagome leapt to her feet, standing right in front of his face.   Her finger wagged with each word, "I'm _tired of this jealousy bull crap, Inuyasha!  Don't you realize what would have happened if you had gotten killed?  Remember what Sesshoumaru said?"_

"Kouga doesn't have anything to do with it."

She nearly groaned in frustration, "Inuyasha, c'mon.  Didn't you hear _anything I said to you before you changed back?"_

This was another thing that was difficult for humans to understand.  As a full youkai, you don't take in what a human is saying and process it like in a conversation.  It's more of the tone that relays what the speaker is feeling.  That, combined with the scent they were giving off, the expression on their faces, and the beating of their heart, was more than enough for a youkai.

So, no; he hadn't heard her in the least.  He couldn't see her face, but he could feel her thundering heart against his back, and he could smell the fear and worry in her.  Her tone, usually full of life, vibrant, and pretty had morphed into something scared, small, but still full of conviction.  It was so unlike Kagome that Inuyasha had halted his attack to try to assess the situation.  Always, it had been a constant struggle to find the reasons why she was so burned by his words—to understand what her real feelings were. Judging by the expression on her face, Inuyasha knew without a doubt that it had been him to upset her this time. 

It was unquestionably time to change the subject.

Kagome noted his drooping ears with a frown.  She placed a reassuring hand on his arm, but he pulled away quickly and began to mutter to himself, "Why in the hell did I come back to this place?!"

"The clearing?"

Inuyasha didn't clarify, but began to stalk around as if looking for clues to further a case against—and get away—from her. 

 Kagome blinked slowly, rubbing her temples.  A migraine had somehow crept into her throbbing head.  Reaching up, she pulled her hair from its constraints and shook out the remainder of the braid.  Inuyasha, who had been observing out of the corner of his eye, took a beat to calm his racing heart.  She had looked wild then--her cheeks flushed and her hair set a wave mad her look almost primal.

The reincarnated priestess caught his eye and smiled slightly.  She was content to wait for him to realize that she was ready to return home, no matter what the cost or how long the stay.  He turned his back to her quickly and took in the breeze.    Something about the way her eyes had warmed suffocated him, making something inside of him squeezing almost painfully.  His light eyes flashed toward the horizon and lingered for what seemed like an eternity.  There was nothing in the miles of land that stretched out before him.  No scent in the wind to guide him towards recovery.

But then there was everything, and it lay less than a dozen feet behind him.

Kagome closed her eyes, and he was with her again.  

========

From below eye level, he crouched, feasting on his prey.  The taste of its raw flesh was only surpassed in excellence by the way the youkai had squealed as it was torn apart while still alive.  He was victorious, and now utterly satisfied.  

The once-fine snow white kimono was distressed with splatters of crimson and smears of dirt.  Not bothering to even clean the blood from his face, Sesshoumaru plucked a small bone from his meal, sharpened it with his claws, and began to pick the remainder of flesh from his teeth.

"Thank you."  His voice minutely highlighted with dry amusement, "Your information was... agreeable to your lord, the great Sesshoumaru."  

Flicking the bone back onto the carcass, the demon lord walked upon two feet towards the western horizon. 

========

Kanna found herself alone in a matter of moments.  

Without her older 'sister,' Naraku's castle had become resoundingly silent.  The bratty human boy was finally gone from her sight as well.  This was pleasing only in the sense that she would no longer have to smell the decaying flesh of his body whenever he approached her.  Their deaths meant nothing more than a candle going out; her master would soon ignite a blaze that would surpass any hell fire that was imaginable to mankind. 

"Kanna, you have done an excellent job."  Naraku remained silent until that moment.  His figure was subtlety highlighted by the rays of the rising sun.  A normal person might have been beautiful in the tropical mixture of colors that plastered the sky.  They served to only make him appear all the more sinister in his deep robes of violet.

He spoke again before she could even think of how to reply, "The foolish human girl thought she could kill one of my creations with only one strike."

Kanna's grip on her mirror tightened, unwilling to reveal the truth of the situation.

"Your attack, hidden beneath the shell of hers, has finally bestowed me with the chance to collaborate with...more prominent and less reluctant help."

"Donovan."  Her voice was monotonous, an answer not required.

"Dreamweaver."  He corrected, "Will be the last piece of this story."

Kanna had to wonder why he had summoned her in such a hasty fashion.  Naraku had demanded her immediate attention and aid.  Tired of waiting and his excessive and verbose self-held conversation, Kanna decided to take a risk.

"What are my orders?"

Naraku's head snapped up, "You demand orders now, Kanna?"

"I would like to know what you would have me do next."

"Do you feel worthless, Kanna?  Is that why you need me to give you something to take care of?"  His voice was light and airy without justification.  Kanna's eyes flashed to the side in deep mediation.  Under his normal restraint, Naraku was a creature of less than a few words.  If anything, he only inquired into her business if there was something that needed to be done.  Maybe he had been possessed, she rationalized.

He sat down, this time facing the window, "Kill Inuyasha's human wench."

"Which one?"  A malicious glint and thoroughly sinister eyes met her stare.

"_Exactly_."

========

Shippou seemed to burst with excitement and unbounded joy when Kagome and Inuyasha emerged from the forest.  He had caught their scents only a few moments before and came running.  The girl had laughed then, the first time in what seemed like all of eternity, and Shippou nearly burst out into tears.

"Oi, kid!  Control yourself."  Inuyasha tried to pass an impassive eye down on the kitsune.  Instead of trying to cuss him out or rip his eyes from their sockets, Shippou threw both tiny arms around the hanyou's leg and cried even harder.

"Shippou," Kagome's sweet tone was extended with a single giggle, "What's the matter?"

Inuyasha's face was deviously cute as the pink spilled over his checks, but he remained silent and unmoving.

"I-I-I d-didn't think you'd come back!!"  Shippou explained, hugging Inuyasha's leg to his chest even harder.  His revelation caused the hanyou to look down at him sharply again, almost in wonder.   Since when did the runt actually _like_ him?

"I think you've got the wrong leg, brat.  Kagome is over there."  He jerked his thumb in her direction.  Shippou shook his head furiously, unwilling to release his grip.  Perhaps the little kitsune had already figured out the system, Inuyasha mused, he even understood his role in the pack. 

The reincarnated priestess caught his eye again, but turned her attention toward the other villagers that were milling about.  Kagome sensed that the two might need some privacy, and moved towards where Kaede was speaking with a group of young men.  From what she could discern from her rapidly approaching vantage point, they were in charge of scouting a new location for the village.

"What for?"  Kagome inquired, "What's wrong with where you were before?"

Kaede let out a tired sigh, "I fear that we will not have enough protection should the youkai choose to attack the village again."  The old priestess dismissed the men with a wave of her hand, instructing them to supply themselves with plenty of water and to be back before nightfall.  

'_Everyone is on the edge,'_ Kagome thought suddenly, '_Almost like they were sensing the trouble they're going to be in.'_

"About that..."  Kagome began, fidgeting nervously and trying to fight back the ever-persistent tears, "I think I need to tell you about some stuff."  From behind her, Kagome felt Inuyasha's amber eyes set her back afire with an intense gaze.  Did he know that she was crying, or did he sense her change in mood?  His own demeanor had spiked from happiness to confusion to concern in a matter of moments.  It almost seemed like Inuyasha was the one capable of reading other's souls.

"I think we shall wait until Miroku and Sango return; there is no need to get everyone frightened until then."  

'_But,'_ Kagome thought bitterly as she forced a smile on her face and agreed,_ 'They need to be.'_

 ========

Inuyasha was having another one of those moments; it was good, it wasn't bad . . .

. . .  It was just a little odd, to say the least.

"Hey--!"  He began looking down at the kitsune, "Stop your blubbering already!"  The Hanyou attempted to wedge Shippou off with his free leg, but the little youkai had no intention of being moved.

"Don't tell me you were scared too."  Inuyasha grumbled.  A frown fell across his features when he felt Shippou's head nodding.  Leaning down, he grabbed the kitsune around his waist and yanked him free.  For a moment, he held the youkai out in front of him, almost inspecting him for anything out of the ordinary.

He was dirty, smelled a little bad, his eyes were red and puffy, but other than that, he was in good shape—at least in comparison to himself.

"Are you all right?"  His voice was gruff, "Nothing hurt?"

Shippou shook his head, but continued to stare at him with wide eyes.  The next thing Inuyasha knew, his stubby arms were grasping for his neck.  He pulled away instinctively, knowing full well what the kitsune was capable of doing with his little claws and fangs.  When no threats to any vital organs were made, however, Inuyasha timidly allowed Shippou's arms to encircle his neck and hug him very tightly.

"Don't leave me again," He whispered, "I don't want to be alone anymore."

Inuyasha's eyes widened again, both in wonder and in concern.  Without realizing it, a single hand came up to rub the little youkai's back.  It was as though he was discovering and removing a feeling that had been misplaced from Inuyasha's heart to Shippou's.  In some corner of his mind Inuyasha remembered his mother comforting him in a similar fashion.  

And in the opposite corner, he wondered what it would be like to be comforting pups of his own.

"I'll protect you."  He paused, tasting the blood in his own mouth, "I won't let anything hurt you, understand?"

Shippou sniffed and nodded again, pulling out of Inuyasha's endearing hug and jumping back to the ground.  Inuyasha watched curiously as he circled around him like a vulture.  And, needless to say, he was not ready when Shippou finally did strike.

It was as fast as lighting; a single hard nip to the Achilles tendon, and Inuyasha was falling towards the ground.

"What the _fuck was that for?!_"  He snarled, trying to swipe at the Kitsune before he ran to Kagome for protection.

"That's for leaving Kagome!  You're supposed to protect her too, and she's almost died five times in the past few days!!"

Only five?  Hells, then they were doing pretty damn good.

"And anyway!"  Shippou continued, pacing back and forth, "She went to get you all by herself and wouldn't even let me come and protect her!"

"As if you could--!"  Inuyasha wiped the arrogant smile off of his face as the kitsune's words fully sunk in.  If she had gone after him, risked being killed without a second's remorse . . . 

He leapt to his feet and began to stomp in her direction, "_KAGOME!_"

"What?"  Kagome looked startled to see the red-faced hanyou crashing toward her.  

"You went into the forest without anyone to protect you?!"  Amber eyes narrowed dangerously.  To think she had been lecturing him on getting himself killed!  Inuyasha couldn't tell if he was angry at her or angry with himself for allowing her to be put in such a situation.

"Uh . . . you're just realizing this now?"  Kagome tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and stood up to her full height.  Inuyasha sputtered out a well-rounded holler of profanity.

"Inuyasha!  There are children around!"  

"Do I give a flying fuc-?!"

"Sit!" A reverberating _thud echoed through the valley and re-greeted her ears._

"AUGH!  YOU DAMNED BITCH!"  

"SIT!"

"STOP IT!!"  He tried to wretch his body up from the ground.

"No!"  She stomped her foot in return, "You're the one that ran away because you were too chicken to stay behind!  I wouldn't have had to have gone into the forest if you hadn't left like a child!"

Inuyasha was still but let out a low and tart laugh, "Why are you so fucking angry?  I left so you could stay behind and nurse your precious Kouga's wounds."

Kagome clenched her fist and knelt down next to him—more than tempted to pop him a good one right where it counted, "Stop with this jealous bull crap already!  It's gone _far enough_!"

In the background Shippou remained confused, but alert.  Having heard her earlier confession, and having seen the way they acted around each other, it struck him as odd that Inuyasha hadn't found a single strand of intelligence to tie the knot of knowledge.  

Inuyasha was now able to push himself up, still slightly dazed from the double sitting, "Feh . . . you conniving bitch--!"

"Who was the one I freed from the tree?"  Kagome began to pace back and forth, blocking his path towards the woods.

Inuyasha looked confused, "Uh . . . me?"

"Who is the one that I let drag me back in time to look for shards?"

"Only because you're a stubborn--!!"

Her eyes narrowed dangerously, "Who is the one that I let 'sneak' into my room while I'm 'asleep'?"

Inuyasha began to splutter incoherently, "I-you-argh!  OK! Stop already!"  

Kagome paused, mid stride, "And anyway, what makes you think that I do love Kouga?  He's my friend!"

"I'm your friend too, but I don't see you jumping into battles to save me!"  Inuyasha snapped irritably, unable to control his mouth.  He wasn't the least bit sorry, either.

"Inuyasha!"  Kagome hollered back, just as angry, "Why do you think I stopped you from fighting last night?!"

"Because I would have killed Kouga—because I _wanted_ to kill Kouga!"  He was advancing towards her again, grasping her upper arms roughly.  Dangerously, his eyes flashed down to meet hers.  Shippou made up his mind then and there to come to her aid if Inuyasha got out of control again.

"So what stopped you?!"  She gritted her teeth and ignored the pain he was causing her.   

Inuyasha seemed to be thrown off guard again by her question.  Why was she asking him this again when she already knew the answer?

"You did."  He mumbled, "Because you didn't want me to kill him."

Kagome crinkled her nose cutely and smiled.  Taking her hands, she lifted them to grip the hanyou in a similar fashion.  Almost instinctively, he leaned towards her, and she did the same.

"Inuyasha, how many times do I have to tell you this?"  Her voice was tired but strangely enticing.

"Tell me what?"  It was suddenly very hard for him to breathe.  Kagome leaned in further, standing up on the very tips of her toes to make sure he heard her.  Their proximity forced Inuyasha into a catatonic state in which he could do nothing but smell, touch, and think of her.  Everything that had happened in the last three days was erased from his mind.  Everything that surrounded them was gone.  In that glorious moment there was only him, her, and—

"You are an _idiot!_" She was screaming into his ear, "How many times do I have to tell you that Kouga is _only_ my _friend?!"_

He reeled back, crushed under the magnificent volume.

He reeled forward, crushed under the sheer intensity of her hug.

Inuyasha attempted to formulate some comprehendible thought.

He looked down at the small body crushed against his and then to the heavens above.

_Any_ comprehendible thought.

"Inuyasha, don't leave me again." She pleaded, chest heaving. She knew it was selfish of her, but the thought of him running away again was almost too much to bear.  

Behind them, Shippou scampered up timidly.  Without the knowledge of what had happened in Kagome's time, he stood as a silent observer.  He must have been glad to see the two make up—or at least to see that they were embracing.  The kitsune had no idea, Inuyasha realized, how truly frightened the human girl was.

The hanyou exhaled a shuddering breath, as though a heavy weight had been lifted.  For as long as the girl would hold him close, he would try to protect her.  Even if it took his own death to ensure it, she would be the one to survive.  

It took courage and faith; life long lessons that hadn't dawned on him until that instant.  To be relied on was a burden—but this was one he would willingly take.  Those who had died to teach him this lesson would never be forgotten, but the necessity of moving on outweighed the need to be tied to them forever.

"I won't.  Just stop being stupid with your life." He growled for her ears only.  Her mass of thick, rich black hair that had spilled against his front seemed to ink ink-in his reply.  Shippou had taken this opportunity to slide between the pair, locking his arms around one of each of their legs.  

========

Like the progression of time, destiny often had a way of being annoyingly consistent with itself.  

"You."  Donovan pointed to a random passerby, "Come to me."

The male crossed the park's dying lawn to where another man in a black suit stood beneath a tree.  Thousands of lost lives fluttered to the ground as one strong shoulder was leaned against the sturdy trunk.  Exasperated, the businessman waited as the aforesaid passerby stood at attention before him.  He said nothing, though it was all for the better.  After all, there was nothing _for him to say.  _

Donovan disliked the man immediately.  He had a well defined roman nose, curly blonde hair, and the body of a God.  His running shorts had been chosen for a reason as well.

"Go find a bridge and jump off of it."  The man nodded and began to run in the general direction of a body of water.  Donovan sighed and looked up to the sky; being the supreme being of a planet could sure get boring sometimes.  

All around him, people went to and fro doing their normal business.  It wasn't like their schedules had been corrupted, or that they were mining like the slaves in those horrible fantasy stories children read.  They still went to work, ate and slept.  It wasn't anything atypical.

 He glanced down at his watch.

As persistent as time was, it was so multileveled that it often choked on its own significant seconds.  Lines, planes of existence, and clocks all kept time, but none could change a life.  No—life was made from past experiences that had occurred in some sputter of miscalculations.  Life existed only because time willed it so.

Mankind was not a slave to himself, nor the universe or any God.  They were enslaved by time.  Always, there was the necessity to be on time, to keep it, and to remember it.  Memories, as humans called them, are what were relied on to make decisions.  Using them, humans created their own dream of the planet and ruled it with their emotions.    Therefore, the only way to truly know someone-- to really shred apart their souls--was to inhabit this aspect of the human psyche.  To control someone's memories and dreams was to rule their entire being.  

Crouching down on all fours, he looked to the eastern horizon and waited for the weaver of time to appear.

========

Higurashi Kagome was very cold.  Not in the sense that she was unfeeling or cruel.  Not in the sense that she was bitter about anything that had happened to her.  

She was just very, very cold.  

Rubbing her hands up and down her arms briskly, she tried to burrow deeper into her sleeping bag.  Normally Shippou's slight body would have added natural body heat, but he had opted to sleep close to Kouga—to "keep an eye on him."  Kagome had told him that it was very brave and responsible of him to do so, but now wished with an unquoted fervor that she hadn't.  

All around her, husbands and wives huddled together, pressing their children as close to them as possible.  Shabby blankets sealed them as one, and the cave kept them all in order.  

The crevice of the mountain that the scouts had found suited the group of villagers perfectly.  It was remote, but close to another village if they ever needed to haggle or obtain supplies.  The location overlooked Inuyasha's Forest; Kaede had wanted to stay relatively near so they could watch the area for any other sign of strange occurrences. Inuyasha had put in quickly that the area was ideal because most of the youkai burrowed in the hills of the flatlands and woods when the first leaves began to fall.  Kagome guessed that this very instinct had lead Inuyasha to choose not to remain in the cave with the group.  

In reality, Inuyasha couldn't stand to smell the mixture of Kagome and Kouga's scents.  One was pleasing, the other disgusting . . . and when mixed together, its implications were more nauseating to his heart than to his stomach.  The smell, when the bloodlust finally did come on, would drive him to another breaking point.  It was better to have an unconscious wolf youkai remain unconscious, and have a calm inu youkai remain calm.

            And anyway, he had proceeded to argue, he didn't do well sleeping anywhere but trees.  

Kagome sat up then, resolved to warm herself up.  Stepping carefully through the scattered bodies, she slipped out into the night time air.  The priestess tucked her hands into her hooded sweatshirt and glanced up the moon rising in the sky.  It would be at least another four days before Inuyasha wouldn't be a threat at night.  

The path down the side of the mountain cliff was steep and jagged. In her sleepless daze, she hadn't realized how close to the edge she had stumbled.  A muffled shriek cut the air as she frantically grabbed for purchase with her hands.  She managed to catch a root of a tree, but her arms were too weak to pull herself back up.  Embarrassed and flustered, Kagome continued to dangle like a fly in a spider's web.   Her small frame remained pressed up to the side of the mountain with a simple death grip.  

Inuyasha was on the return leg of his friendly trip to a bush when he caught her scent.  If he hadn't been so horrified for her life, he would have collapsed to the ground in a fit of absolute hysterics.  

"Help.  Please.  Now.  Quickly.  Slipping.  Death."  Kagome squeaked.  Inuyasha shook his head in absolute amazement and moved promptly.  Throwing her over one shoulder, he reached the base of the mountain in three giant leaps and bounds. 

"Whoo, boy!"  Kagome laughed, putting an embarrassed hand behind her head, "I'm nice and warm now!"

Inuyasha was not amused.

Kagome's eyes met the ground abruptly.  She had already broken her promise to him, and it hadn't even been a day.  When the school girl did look up again, the hanyou was moving away.

"You shouldn't be down here.  You know what I could do."

She jogged to catch up with him, "You won't hurt me, Inuyasha.  You won't ever hurt me."

His head snapped in her direction, "Don't be so sure."

Kagome looked confused, "You aren't talking about--?"

"Kikyou?"  Inuyasha offered, "Yeah, I am."

"But that was Naraku!"  Kagome grabbed one of his arms, but he shrugged her off roughly, "Inuyasha . . .?"

"I killed her, Kagome.  It was me.  I fed her the poison, I tainted her."

"What are you _talking about?"  He was running around the topic now._

"It's like this," his voice was almost sadistic, "I killed her, and at the time, I enjoyed it.  I enjoyed watching her suffer.  You're her, Kagome.  I could do the same to you."

"I know you love . . . loved?  No, you love her.   You're not some killing machine, Inuyasha.  I see the way you treat children and how you take care of us.  I see the way that you've grown and matured.  You won't do the same to me, because you _can't."_

Inuyasha took one of her hands in his, flipping her palm face up.  She watched in morbid curiosity as he took a single claw and made a shallow cut from the base of her index finger to the far left side of the fleshy part of her palm.  And, strangely enough, it didn't hurt her in the least.  He watched as her hand cupped the pooling blood before speaking again.

"I'm bound to Kikyou by honor, Kagome.  Her death is _my burden, and I'll carry it forever.  Whatever I felt for her is restrained to that.  You bleed too, Kagome, you're not immortal.  Everything you want in life you can't have because you're too weak to get it.  I can't protect you from that."  Inuyasha was rarely this philosophical and serious; it was extremely unnerving to her, but more importantly, utterly devastating. _

"Can't I?"  Her eyes began to fill will well-deserved tears, "Can't I be selfish and take your wish on the Shikon no Tama away from you?  Can't I wish my family back to life?   Can't I wish for you and everyone else in this world and mine to be happy?" 

"Kagome . . ." Inuyasha was never one for words.

"I'm cold, Inuyasha.  I'm tired.  I'm heart sick.  But I can't sleep because every time I close my eyes, I see Mama and Souta staring up at me, but not seeing me.  Sometimes, I even see myself there instead."  She admitted in a single breath, staring softly into his eyes.

Inuyasha knew about this type of pain, but like most, had no idea how to heal it.  He could, however, warm her heart—even if just in the slightest.

Taking her in his arms, he leapt up to the tree he had been resting on.   Kagome's tears were dried by the sleeve of his haori as it brushed by her face to encircle both of them.  It wasn't the most comfortable position in the world, and Inuyasha seemed to sense this before she could complain.  In the next moment, she was sitting on his lap with her back pressed firmly against his hard chest.  The warm of his chest that seeped through his kimono top sent shivers up and down her spine even as his arms moved to enclose her from behind.  Her hands were in his, and her heart did not beat alone.  

Inuyasha brought his head forward to rest his chin on her shoulder.  One ear remained alert for any approaching danger, and the other took in the rhythm of her breathing.  Kagome had managed to tilt her head so it rested against his own.  She clasped his hands against her heart and allowed herself to cry.  

Like dancing in slow motion, her head turned to meet his simultaneously.  Gingerly, her soft skin brushed against his nose, and his eyes drooped down lazily until they were shut.  When the tip of her nose tickled his own, he knew that there would be no avoiding contact.  Waltzing feather-light over his lips, her own slipped across his cheek until she found herself craning her neck in tamed desperation.

"**_SESS-HOU-MARU-SAMAAAAA!!_"**

Inuyasha and Kagome tumbled from the tree in alarm.

"_SESSHOUMARU-SAMAAAAAAA!!__ WHERE HAVE YOU GONE?!"  _

The wail was piteous, and even Kagome had to grimace at the tone.   It was as if the person or thing was having their heart ripped out by a wild animal and watched it be shredded before their eyes.  Inuyasha cringed, though she was not sure if it was from the mention of his kin or the utter volume of the howling.

And it was at that very same moment, that Jaken entered their line of vision.

========

Har!  I'm late with this chapter, and I didn't even make it extra long (only 36 pages, compared to the 39 of the last part). ^^;;  Sorry this chapter took me so long to write . . . school is just so horrid to the Ophe.  Don't worry! The next part will definitely have a little bit more carnage in it.  And hopefully it won't take me another month to write. :3   I had to drink three cokes and download about ten international techno songs to stay awake to finish this. XD;

OH.  I almost forgot! Whoever recommended A Thousand Years to be archived at iridescent-dreams(dot)net needs a kiss and a hug. ;_;  I'm so honored that I even have as many readers as I do, and it just blew my mind when I got the email. @_@  I promise I'll work extra hard so you guys won't have to wait a kazillion years for each part. 

 Comments, concerns and criticism are always welcome!

3 2003 Ophelia


	7. Part 6: The New Moon

Warning!  This chapter (as well as the previous ones and the ones soon to follow) contains some really vulgar language, violence, and gore.  It's nothing out of character, but it might be offensive if you're a Church-goin' folk.

This chapter also deals with some mature themes, but if I tell you what they are it'll ruin the surprise. :o

Ju, come home. ;_;

========

**A Thousand Years**

(Part 6: The New Moon)

By Mourning Ophelia

Disclaimer:  Inuyasha is property of Rumiko Takahashi, this is my story and if you steal it, you will die--and that's the end of that.

========

"The blood-longing became stronger than ever before. He was a killer, a thing that preyed, living on the things that lived, unaided, alone, by virtue of his own strength and prowess, surviving triumphantly in a hostile environment where only the strong survived." 

Call of the Wild; Chapter 7, pg. 122

========

"_WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!"___

Kagome watched in mild horror as Jaken was sent flying halfway across the forest clearing with one swift kick from a flustered hanyou.  Turning her back on the scene, she tried to disguise her own flaming cheeks in the cover of darkness.

'_Oh my God, we almost . . .!'  She placed a firm hand over her mouth and shook her head to clear it of the warm and fuzzy feelings that had overtaken it in moments prior.  Instantly she reprimanded herself for her lack of self control in her moment of weakness._

"God damn you-you-_you fucking little worm_!"  Inuyasha was stomping towards the crumpled heap on the forest floor.  And if it hadn't been cleverly disguised by the light of the full moon, Kagome would have seen a similar expression on his face. 

"Go ahead and kill me!"  Jaken's body had been pressed firmly into the muddy forest floor.  He hardly lifted his head as he continued with a near-falsetto voice, "_My life is over anyway_!  Sesshoumaru-sama!  How could you?!  **_HOW COULD YOU?!_"  **

Inuyasha involuntarily twitched at the sight of the pathetic heap at his feet.  Kagome came up behind him and pulled his arm back to his side.  She let her hand linger on his sleeve almost unconsciously until both pulled away, embarrassed at their proximity.  Finally, after clearing her throat, gaining composure, and listening to the youkai babble incoherently for another five minutes, the young priestess knelt down next to Jaken.  Using the back of shirt she picked him up with her forefinger and thumb, setting him on his feet.  In his complete and utter devastation, Jaken fell back onto his bottom and sat weeping. 

"What happened?"  Kagome's voice was almost too kind for Inuyasha's liking.  Raising a brow, he gave her a stern look. 

"L-l-le-leave this unworthy creature to be eaten by the s-so-so--!!"

"So so so?"  Kagome's head tilted in confusion.

"Soma?"  Inuyasha offered.

"SOIL.  Bury me!  For if I do not have my precious Sesshoumaru, this unworthy creature has nothing!"

Inuyasha and Kagome responded with a collective, "Oh."

The three sat again in silence until Inuyasha broke out with a lopsided grin on his face, "So that idiot brother of mine finally dumped off his useless baggage!"

Jaken turned his wide, pathetic, eyes to the hanyou, "Do not speak of Sesshoumaru-sama as such, you worthless ingrate!"

"Hey!"  Inuyasha snarled, hauling him up by the front of his shirt and dangling him in front of his face, "I was trying to be fucking nice to you, but now I think I'll just--!!"

"Jaken-sama, if Sesshoumaru left you, where is the human girl Rin?"  Kagome's soft voice halted any blood loss.  The conversation she had held previously with the demon lord's future self came crashing back to her.

It was a long while before Jaken replied, "It doesn't matter.  She was an ungrateful whelp that burdened my great lord."  Inuyasha rattled the youkai's senses by shaking him repeatedly.

"She asked you a question, and you'd better answer it."  Kagome rolled her eyes at the dramatic undertone in his voice. 

"Not that it concerns you, but she was left at a village," giving the once over to Kagome he finished, "A _human_ village."

An audible gasp escaped from her lips before she could stop it.  Inuyasha jerked his head back in her direction, "What's the matter _now,_ wench?"

"We have to go get her and bring her to Sesshoumaru," Kagome began to pace, running her hands frantically through her hair, "I promised him that we would find her before anything happened."

"Is that what the hell he was talking to you about?"  Inuyasha let out a bitter laugh, "Some stupid _girl_?"  

Kagome nodded, unwilling to delve too deeply into the youkai lord's private matters, "He said that without the girl near him, he feared he would do something rash . . . that would be unfixable."  

The priestess looked to the hanyou, almost begging for him to believe her story.  Inuyasha quickly diverted his gaze, both angry that she hadn't thought to mention it until now, and that he'd have to go on some mad hunt for his brother when there were other things that needed to be solved.  

'_It's like a fucking riddle.  Every time I think I got one piece solved, I see that I've missed a detail and get distracted.'_

Inuyasha grabbed her arm, perhaps a little too roughly, "Why didn't you think to mention any of this to me earlier?"  

Pulling away indignity, she replied, "Because he asked me not to."

"When did you speak with Sesshoumaru-sama?"  Jaken raised a suspicious brow and carefully began to push himself up out of the dirt.  He had been watching the duo's conversation very closely, noticing the obvious change in demeanor of the hanyou.  If the girl had any information regarding his master, he would be more than happy to sit through her babbling nonsense.

"It—it wasn't your Sesshoumaru," Kagome began to explain, "It was the Sesshoumaru of my time." 

 Jaken looked completely taken back, "And he asked you to look for the puny human girl?"

Inuyasha, who had tried to grasp some form of logic on the issue, now spoke in a grave voice, "Something's going on.  If you're involved, or have any idea what's causing it, you'd better cough up the information now."

There was something going on.  It was deep, dark . . .  Every waking moment it was there in the back of his mind.  He felt it, Sesshoumaru had felt it, and now he was positive the hanyou did as well.  Jaken had tried to convince himself that Sesshoumaru had left him to merely investigate, that he would come back for him eventually, but lately he had seen otherwise.  

Youkai slaughtering their own kind, abandoned pups being left alone, blood in the rivers.  The violence of the atmosphere grew with the shape of the moon, and there was no doubt in his mind that the tensions that lingered would eventually explode. It could only mean one thing—and that was the hardest truth of all to accept.

"Or else what?  You'll kill me?" Jaken's voice was becoming high pitched again. 

 Kill me.  Kill me.  Kill me. Before I kill you.  Kill you.  Kill you.

Inuyasha was rapidly losing patience; cracking his knuckles he replied, "I have half the mind to."

 A sinisterly bitter laugh began to bubble up from inside of him. Jaken's yellow eyes clearly reflected the moonlight as he stared up at the proud dog.

 "Don't you already know?  This time next spring we'll all be dead."

========

Miroku followed Sango's gaze up to where the village should have been.  They had both agreed on tracking their way back to the villager's camp by using the actual village as a sort of anchor in direction.  Blinking rapidly, he tried to assess the situation in the calmest way possible.

"Are we . . . lost?"

"No, I'm sure the village should be here.  I'm _positive_."  Sango nearly growled, her senses heightened at the foul play.  Miroku's eyes narrowed at the scene.

Where the village was—should have been, he corrected himself—there was wild grass and trees no bigger than a small child.  Miroku would never doubt Sango's skills as a tracker and hunter, but he was willing to question his own sanity.

"I don't understand.  It should be here."  Sango muttered again, her face tired and worn.  The pair began to shuffle through the overgrowth, looking for some sign that humans had once occupied the region.  The demon exterminator had heard stories of forest spirits that were capable of renewing abused land, but it had never been this quickly.  This wasn't natural.

"There's magic at play."  Miroku closed his eyes in concentration, "It's extremely powerful."

"We should keep moving, then.  We'll come back with the others to investigate."  Miroku nodded, readjusting the bundle of scrolls in his arms.  They still had a good day's worth of walking, and his arms felt like they would break off in the next instant.

"I think Naraku was somehow involved with this, Sango."  He said finally, side stepping a jagged rock in his path.  "Places don't disappear unless he's involved."

"It wouldn't surprise me." She muttered, more to herself than to him.  Sango looked down and then back up to the sky quickly, sending up a silent prayer.  Reaching over to relieve Miroku of some of his strain, her actions were halted by a sudden shifting of the earth.  A loud, ear piercing scream cut through the air and Sango raised her hands to her ears to try to block it out.

The scrolls tumbled from Miroku's arms as he reached out to grab Sango.  Managing to fall against a tree to keep their balance, he tucked her against his chest and rolled to the left just as a dozen branches came slamming down from above.  The landscape began to mold, reshaping itself into a blur of green and light. The initial quake halted and they stood in the center of the light show, too stunned to maintain the grip they had on each other.  As they slowly stepped back from each other, the circle of light and green began to close in.  The light passed over the ground and from it sprung flowers, trees and pure newborn plant life—fully grown and matured.  

Sango was careful to not trample on a patch of flowers, letting a small laugh of happiness tingle in the air.  Miroku would never forget how the light made her face look in that instant; the image of her surrounded by beautiful flowers would be the last thought he had before dying.  He was sure of it.

The light reached the center of the new spring field, hovering above it's masterpiece as if inspecting it for flaws or intrusions of the fall landscape surrounding it.  Sango moved as close to it as she dared and Miroku went to gather up the scrolls, still shaken by what had happened.  The hairs on his neck stood up, and the overwhelming sense of panic that filled his body caused him to choke out, "Sango, don't touch it!"

It was too late; the second Sango's finger brushed against it, the ball exploded, spreading out to destroy the entire field in less time than it had taken to create it.  The ground beneath them disappeared and was replaced by a body of water.  And then, they were swimming.  Sango's head shot up first from the frigid water.  She was still choking on the water by the time Miroku finally emerged.

"What . . . happened . . . ?" He gasped, his heavy robes making it difficult for him to wade in the water.

"The scrolls!"  Sango choked up the icy water, "Miroku, we need the--!"

The monk, however, was already pulling them to the safety of the newly-created shore.  Dragging his own saturated body out first, he hauled her up against his chest.  The crisp fall air stung her eyes and pricked at her cheeks, though she was sure the tears that leaked from the corners of her eyes were not from the cold.  

Over a thousand years of history, tradition, weaponry, and rituals had been lost in that instant; they were irreplaceable and priceless, but, more importantly, they were apart of her.  The pain that it caused her was no different then if she had lost a child. 

Miroku pulled her to her feet again shaking her from her stupor.  Taking her arm through his, he carefully guided her farther inland from the enchanted lake.  There was now no doubt in his mind that there could be no delay in getting back to the others.

He was scared as hell, and day was quickly fading to dreaded night. 

========

"_WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!"___

Kaede watched in mild amusement as a small green form came flying out from the shelter of the woods.  

"You tell her," Inuyasha huffed as he came stomping out from the woods, "_exactly what you just told us!"_

"The part about the never-ending night, or the part about how everyone and everything is going to die by next spring?" Jaken inquired smartly, earning another kick from the hanyou.

Kagome stumbled out from over a fallen log moments later.  Kaede raised an old brow, wondering when the girl had left the enclosure of the cave.  Her disheveled appearance and the leaves sticking out from her dark mane indicated that it had most likely been sometime during the night.  

Inuyasha turned quickly, easing her out of the forest with extreme care.  Kagome seemed to mumble quick thanks, though she appeared to be in some sort of a daze.  

"What is happening Inuyasha?"

"My brother kicked the worm out of his little pack and has started going on mad killing rages because of whatever the fuck is going on."

"And we need to go find Rin, that little girl that's always with him," Kagome added promptly.  

"But . . . Jaken-sama, is it?" The old woman paused, picking the demon up and out of the mud, "Has information about what's been going on?"

"Not much.  He says it has something to do with Naraku and the bloodlust."

"Actually," Jaken cut in, brushing himself off like a Napoleonic diplomat, "Naraku has cast an ancient spell over the land to try to bring ruin to all of mankind."

Kagome seemed surprised that he would even offer up so much information.  Inuyasha, on the other hand, impatiently pressed him for more. 

"It has something to do with the moon, right?!"

"Of course, you worthless piece of trash, though I assumed that it would hardly have an affect on you . . . considering you're only a lousy mutt."  Jaken narrowed his eyes considerably.  

Inuyasha lunged toward him, ready to tear him apart bit by bit.  If it hadn't been for the watchful eyes of Kagome and the village children he would have done so right then and there.  Instead, he restrained himself; he picked the youkai up and entangled him in a vise like choke hold.

"Tell.  Me.  What.  Is.  Going.  On." Inuyasha gritted his teeth and began to shake some more sense into the other youkai.  Kagome gripped him firmly around the wrists and tried to pry his grip from the suffocating youkai.

"He can't tell us what's going on if he's dead, Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha, in one of his better moments of logic, dropped Jaken roughly to the cold earth.  He had half the mind to reprimand Kagome for cutting in on what he considered to be his prerogative.  Clenching his jaw tightly, he turned away and began to stalk back toward the villagers.  Inuyasha walked through the crowd that had formed, past the children playing in the outer fields, and towards the lonely mountain refugee camp. 

Kaede blinked. "Will he be coming back?"

Kagome sighed and turned to Jaken, who also stared after the hanyou.  

"If you would just help us, I'm sure we would cross Sesshoumaru's path sooner or later."  Kagome shuffled her feet, noticing for the first time how dirty her shoes and socks had gotten.

"So?" Jaken began, turning his gaze up to meet hers, "I do not require any sort of assistance--!"

"I think you do, Jaken-sama, if what you say is true.  If Naraku succeeds in destroying life amongst the earth, then it would be very difficult for you to meet up with your Sesshoumaru-sama."  Kaede smiled very gently, in a way that almost made the youkai feel guilty for childish behavior.

There were ups and downs to the situation; on one side of the coin there was the fact that traveling with the much-hated group gave him an opportunity to find weaknesses in Inuyasha, have a steady food supply, and of course—meet up with Sesshoumaru.  But did he really want to go after the dirty human girl again?  Did he really want to submit himself to the obvious torment the hanyou was going to cause him?

If it was for Sesshoumaru-sama, there was no argument.  

"I will help you find Rin.  I will tell you everything I know about what Naraku has been conjuring—" he brushed himself off as he rose to his full height, "— however, you must assure me that we will not only find Sesshoumaru-sama, but also my staff.  I shall require it for the journey ahead of us."

"Right.  That works for me," Kagome smiled, "Thank you so much.  I know this must be hard for you, especially since we've never been on good terms."

"We will never be on good terms, but a truce is in order for the time being," Jaken explained, "when will we be leaving?"

"We're waiting for the rest of our group to return . . . I don't think it will be more than a day." 

"Try a moment."  A very polite voice came behind.  Miroku and Sango, who had neglected to announce their quiet arrival, stood absolutely bedraggled and . . .

"Did you guys go swimming?" Kagome tilted her head to the side, "In the fall? With your clothes on?"

An impassioned and mournful look crossed Miroku's face, "Unfortunately."

Sango put her hand on the younger girl's shoulder, "Care to explain what _he's doing here?"  Jaken looked offended at the tone of disgust in her voice._

"I think there's a lot of explaining to be done. Let us return to the shelter and run through what we know so far." Kaede suggested, already moving in that direction.  Jaken walked swiftly behind her, leaving only the three friends.

Kagome wanted to ask them how their journey was, but refrained upon seeing the forlorn expressions stretched across their faces. 

"It's really nice to have you guys back again." She said in a small voice.  It wasn't a lie; she had missed both terribly.  They began walking, Sango offering up a few details of their trip, but nothing truly noteworthy.  

". . . Where's Inuyasha . . .?" Miroku questioned as they reached the entrance to the cave.  Kagome sighed and could only shrug. 

========

"Oi, kid."

Shippou looked up from where he was guarding Kouga's prone form.  

"HEY!" He hollered, "You're not supposed to be in here!!"  The kitsune threw his arms out in front of Kouga, as if to shield him from whatever attack Inuyasha was _obviously_ planning.  

'_Another one protecting the precious little wolf, eh?'__   Inuyasha's face instantly darkened.  _

Shippou, though young and naïve, knew that he had upset the older hanyou.  He took a cautious step towards him, reaching up to tug on his pants.  

"Is . . . Kagome back too?"  

Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest and stared long and hard at Kouga.  Shippou glanced back and forth between the two; one completely passed out in pain and the other ready to inflict more if it if necessary. 

Reaching up a little higher, Shippou took the hanyou's hand in his small one.  Inuyasha's eyes flashed down to meet Shippou's sad ones.  

"Don't be angry.  Kagome was just trying to be nice."

"Trying to be nice--?!" Inuyasha knelt down next to the wolf youkai, "If she was trying to be nice she would have let me kill him!"

"She didn't want you to be sad about it later, you asshole!"  Shippou ripped his had away and bopped him upside the head as mighty as his little arms could muster.  Inuyasha looked terribly flabbergasted and opened his mouth to protest.  However, his ears twisted back to catch the sound of oncoming voices and he quickly shut it.  Inuyasha quickly moved towards the opposite side of the cave, but slipped on a protruding rock.  Unable to catch himself or save his pride the embarrassment, Inuyasha fell flat on his face—on top of Kouga.

"Well, this certainly is an interesting sight to see."  Miroku commented as the group entered, "They've either made up or they've killed each other."

"Miroku!  Sango!"  Shippou's face instantly brightened, "You're back!!"  Kagome smiled and walked over to where Inuyasha still remained slightly dazed on Kouga.  She poked his shoulder, making sure he was still among the living. 

As if her mere presence was able to enliven him, Kouga sat up—Inuyasha and all—and reached for her. 

"Kagome!!"

"_HEY!" Inuyasha put one hand out to stop her from falling into the youkai's embrace, and used the other to slam Kouga back into the ground.  "Leave her alone, you piece of shit!"_

Kouga shoved Inuyasha off of him and crouched down as if to spring on him. "We didn't finish our fight!" he snarled.  They converged on each other like two hurricanes and were moving so quickly that they actually shook the mountain.

"Not this again."  Sango passed a weary hand over her face, "Will the two of you sit still for ten minutes or at the very least until we figure out what's going on?"

Inuyasha and Kouga stopped mid-attack, the hanyou's hand still around the wolf's neck.  They looked to each other, pushed the other away, and moved to take a seat on either side of Kagome.  

"Thank you." Kaede brushed her hands off on her robes, "Now will Jaken-sama please tell us what you know?"

The small youkai strode into the center of the circle which they had formed and began to speak in a low, dangerous voice that seemed almost hysterical to be coming from such a figure. 

"Sesshoumaru-sama, Rin, and I were heading towards the west to check the progress of a human encampment that had been growing very rapidly.  However, when we got there, we discovered that the humans had all been brutally killed.

"At first we thought nothing of it—after all, youkai attack villages on a daily basis—but, something was extremely peculiar about this.  The youkai of the west are generally more ferocious than those of here.  Instead of devouring the humans as per usual, they left them lying motionless, almost unscathed.  There was no scent of blood, no sight of red anywhere—there were just bodies and blank, dead gazes."

"No souls?"  Kaede folded her hands delicately in her lap.

'_Kikyou...?'  Inuyasha pushed the thought from his head._

"What else?"  Kagome pressed, shifting uncomfortably.

"When we returned to the village later on to gather food supplies, it was as though the village never existed.  Every trace of it had been removed."

Sango gasped, and Miroku looked startled, "When we were coming back, it was the same with the old village!"

"All the homes and fields were gone?"  Shippou asked.

"Yes, it was like they were never there to begin with," Sango looked a little embarrassed, "There was a ball of light that gathered and morphed the landscape . . . but when I touched it, Mir—Houshi-sama and I found ourselves in a lake."

There was an elongated silence as the information sunk in.  Kaede was again the first to speak, her voice ragged and tired.

"It is said that the village was established on a dry lake bed, as the soil was fertile, and the crops grew plentiful."

"Does that mean that it returned it its original state?"  Kouga seemed strangely calm; Inuyasha just wanted to rip his tongue out for even opening his mouth.  

"A time rip?"  Kagome offered, "But if it's happening in more than one place, isn't it safe to assume that it's linked to whatever Naraku is planning?"

"Precisely as Lord Sesshoumaru thought," Jaken stood again; ready to finish his story, "After the first night of the bloodlust, he had interrogated a lesser youkai who carried news across the land.  Naraku, Sesshoumaru-sama believes, is trying to banish the sun from the sky in order to bring about an eternal blood craze to destroy mankind.  He can only achieve this on the first day of spring; where life begins, the youkai said, life will end."

"I was attacked by a boar youkai while I was hunting for my pack," Kouga stretched an arm out in front of him to show a particular wound, "It got me before I even knew what happened and the next thing I knew, I was hardly able to move."

"Feh.  Serves you right."  Inuyasha grunted.

Kouga was about to fire back when Sango interrupted him, "But Kouga, boar youkai don't have poison in their tusks.  Are you positive that that was what you were attacked by?"

"The snake youkai should not have been able to use that type of noise, or that strong of a poisonous gas."  Inuyasha had suddenly become very grave, "Why are they all becoming stronger?"

"It must have something to do with the moon and the time rip, if anything, the youkai should be returning back to their original states as well."  Kaede clapped her hands together once, twice, three times as a thought came over her.

"Houshi-sama, you say that you saw a ghostly little girl, one who seemed unnatural and not of this world?"

Miroku nodded firmly, "She was protecting Kagome's body after the snake youkai—she won't even let me get within a few feet of her."

Kagome tried to mask her surprise.  She knew that it was wrong of her, that she should be more than willing to offer up information about Emiko, but something held her tongue firmly.  It was as though an overwhelming desire to protect the little girl had swept over her.  Kagome didn't want the others to know of the flower field, the fact that she could read their emotions now plain as day, or even her gift of foresight.  

She just wanted things to go back to the way they were.

"Kagome, why are you crying?"  Sango's soft voice cut into her thoughts.  She looked up sharply, realizing for the first time that tears had begun to streak down her cheeks uncontrollably.  Everyone stared at her, some concerned, others confused, but one who was particularly angry.

"What's going _on_, Kagome?  Who is the little girl?  Where did you go when you went to the empty place?  How did you know about the snake youkai before I even caught their scent?"  Inuyasha clenched his teeth together, "_What is going on?!"_

**_Kagome, Kagome..._**

"I don't know!"  She cried, "I don't remember anything about it!  The dream spider, the premonition, the little girl... anything, OK?!  I don't know _anything!"  _

**_When does the bird inside the cage come out?_**

Inuyasha backed down and the discussion moved to the empty places.  Kagome, who finally realized that the "empty place" they were referring to was Emiko's field, still refused to offer up any information.  

"I have heard of these types of places, but I had always thought they were rumors spread by the human folk."

"Kagome," Miroku turned the conversation back to something that had been bothering him considerably, "how did you defeat the snake youkai?"

Kagome looked like a deer that had been caught in the headlights of a speeding drunk.  She blinked and tried to formulate a decent response.

'_I'm not even sure I know what happened . . .'_

"It was . . . it was like something went through me.  It was warm and very gentle, but it dangerous.  I didn't understand what it was—all I knew was that I needed to protect Miroku and Sango, and that I didn't want to die.  It just sort of happened."

Kaede reached over and took hold of the young girl's hand, noticing for the first time that something was very wrong with her demeanor.  Something had happened that was both inexplicably cruel and tragic.

"Kagome, it is very likely that it is just your dormant powers as a priestess acting to protect you, your foresight as well.  You should take it as a sign that it is not your time to pass into another realm of existence.  That little girl was probably trying to show you that."

Inuyasha saw the girl's face tighten; how her shoulders sagged under a great weight and how she bowed her head.  It stabbed him right through his heart.

**_What is death, and what is life?_**

****

Shippou moved to comfort her, but was at a loss for words.

**_To sing a song of mourning,_**

****

"I've heard a story about a little girl who appears to priestesses.  She acts as a guide to ensure the priestess's safety.  Is that what happened, Kagome?"  Kaede asked in a soft voice.

**_Or a single storm strife?_**

Kagome shook her head, still maintaining that she remembered nothing; but it did not take a wise old woman to see that she was lying. 

========

Later that night, Kaede placed Kirara as well as both Inuyasha and Kouga in near by smaller caves.  She, with the help of Miroku and Kagome, but up binding spells to prevent them from getting out—and to prevent anything from getting in.  

The very next morning the group was packed and already on the move.  Kirara was to stay behind with Kaede and the villagers to send messages back and forth upon any discoveries.  Kouga had roused up enough strength to insist that he needed to accompany them as well—to protect Kagome, and to check on the status of his pack.  Inuyasha, as one could imagine, was not particularly pleased.  

Jaken, the group decided, was either a complete imbecile or a daft moron.  The staff that he had staked so much on was found in less than two hours of traveling.  

"Jaken-sama," a shivering Shippou asked as Kagome tried to towel dry him off quickly, "why did you throw your staff to the bottom of a river?"

Jaken cleared his throat and swung the staff around dangerously.  He said nothing.

"Crazy people do crazy things when they're really upset." Kagome whispered in Shippou's ear.  The kitsune nodded, agreeing with her assessment. 

The uncomfortable aura of the forest was not eased by Kouga and Inuyasha's presences.  They were both constantly trying to take the lead in situations; ten minutes would be wasted just trying to decide whether or not to climb over a fallen log or to go underneath it.  In the end Inuyasha had barked and growled something to the wolf that shut him up and forced him to the back of the group.  

"Inuyasha says that this isn't Kouga's pack so he has no say."  Shippou said very quietly in Kagome's ear, "If he interferes one more time then it goes against the laws of the wild and Inuyasha can kill him without a fight." 

Kagome blinked, but refrained from saying anything.   She knew that it would be an ideal way to get rid of the wolf youkai for Inuyasha.  

A familiar feeling snapped through her, causing her to fall to her eyes in what could be considered agony.  She braced her hands on the ground and felt like vomiting.  A scene flashed before her eyes, suddenly.  Red eyes.  A swift strike.  A spray of blood.  

"Kagome!" 

Inuyasha?

"Wench, snap out of it!"

Inuyasha.

She was gripping his arm so tightly that he could feel the pulse of her body through his clothing.  Kouga sped up, as did the rest of the group.  Jaken looked confused, but narrowed his eyes on the scene.  Humans were just weak traveling companions, after all.  

"S-sorry!"  She let Inuyasha haul her up to her feet, "I must have just tripped and gotten scared."  Kagome waved Inuyasha's hands off her, trying to drive her lie home.  Inuyasha wasn't convinced, but let it slide for a moment.  Kouga, on the other hand, didn't. 

"Kagome!  Let me carry you!"

She laughed nervously, seeing a dark expression flash over Inuyasha's face, "No, Kouga, I'm just fine."

"Please . . ." he stood before her, "it would be my honor."

Jaken, from his low vantage point, saw the hanyou's posture stiffen dramatically.  Having seen what an immature, possessive brat Inuyasha could be he took his staff and quickly knocked it into the back of Kouga's knees.  The wolf youkai stumbled forward into the lush soil next to Kagome's feet.

"You can hardly stand yourself, how can you carry her?"  Jaken strolled past the group, continuing forward.  

Inuyasha and Kagome blinked at Jaken's interruption to what certainly would have become a fight.  Kouga began growling death threats to the grass he had compressed with the weight of his body, clutching his fists dangerously.  He would kill the little rat before the night was over.

Inuyasha had wondered whether or not Jaken was leading them into some far-fetched trap.  Kagome tried to reassure him that the smaller youkai only have good intentions—she left out that she had read numerous books on travel guides betraying their groups.  Still, she could sense the anxiety in his heart.  While the rest of the group was enraptured by the bleeding colors of the setting sun, Kagome took his hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze.  

Part of the problem with traveling with so many youkai was the impending fate of the night.  Shippou would never pose much of a threat, however, if Inuyasha and Kouga got a hold of each other no one would be left standing to meet the morning sun.  They had no idea what Jaken was capable of.  

But Inuyasha was alone now.  Crouching down among the dense foliage, he opened his ears—he opened his mind.  All angry thoughts of betrayal and jealousy left him and he was all right again.  The setting sun seemed to cast a crimson hue across the land, drowning it in a pool of blood.  The few remaining golden streams of light cut through the branches of trees overhead.  They focused his attention sharply, and the lonely deer that entered the clearing was soon in his sights.  

Let it be known now that Inuyasha, first and foremost, was a hunter.  His entire youth had been spent perfecting the art and learning how to move to mask his sound.  There was little in his life that was so relaxing, so tempting, as a swift slaughter. 

The tensions of the past week built up in him; his muscles strained and his ears shot forward.  A little closer . . . 

In the distance the sun was nearly out of sight.

Closer . . . 

The claret sky was fading into a deadly lilac.

Just a little . . . 

Inuyasha sprang forward, throwing his entire being into the pounce.  This time, unlike the thousands of times before, he did not cover a great distance of ground.  He did not break the deer's neck to put it out of its misery before slicing into it.  There would no meat accompany dinner tonight.  He looked down as the deer fled the scene.

His hands had become those of a human, and his hair the deepest midnight.

"Shit."

========

Kagome was getting worried.

Kouga was growing restless beside her in a way that was entirely uncomfortable.  Miroku, when he made passes at her, always had made them in a friendly way; as if to say, 'I'm here for you,' or 'you're still cute to me.'

"Kagome . . . when we are married, we shall have no fear of this world.  I will protect you for--!"  Kouga's head had dipped dangerously low on her bosom, and Shippou's protective nature finally broke into action.

"Kagome!"  He shoved himself between the two and began hugging her very tightly.  Miroku and Sango quickly followed.  Kouga began to snarl in a way that even caught Jaken's attention.  

"I think that it is time for the spell."  He walked over to the nearest, thickest tree he could find.  Sango stood up and tied him around tightly with enchanted twine that Kaede had blessed before they left.  If what the old priestess said held true, the trio of youkai would not be able to break free from the tree, nor uproot it.  Jaken tried to remain dignified—this would be the only way to eventually see Sesshoumaru.       

Kouga, on the other hand, was not so willing.  

"I'm not going to be tied up; I'm not a fucking animal like Dog Shit."

Kagome sighed tiredly, "Please, Kouga-kun, do it for me . . ."

Kouga seemed to have a more brilliant plan, "Kiss me and I will."

Kagome began stuttering, Shippou was outraged, and Sango had to be forcefully held back by Miroku.  Kagome had never been kissed before in a way that someone like Kouga would consider "romantic."  If Inuyasha . . . 

"Fine.  A small one."  They didn't have much time.  

Miroku and Sango looked away, unwilling to witness the horrendous act for themselves.  Kagome took a deep breath, angry that the wolf would ever put her in such a horrible position.  She was angry that it was the only way to make sure her friends survived the night.  

She, above all, was angry that it wasn't Inuyasha.

Kagome stood on her tip toes to give him a chaste kiss on the cheek.  Kouga, much stronger and faster, tilted his head and pulled her to him roughly.  He gave her a hard kiss, one that slowly bit away every shred of dignity she held and replaced it with shame.  When the reincarnated priestess tried to pull away in disgust, she found her arms trapped in his tight hold.  She opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out.

The Hiraikotsu came smashing into the wolf youkai's head, sending him falling backwards.  Kagome instantly dropped to her knees, clutching at her chest and gasping for air.  

"That bastard!  I won't forgive him!"  Sango hollered, making sure to rough him up as she and Miroku strung him painfully tight to the tree.  Miroku silently fumed as he glanced over to the younger girl.

"Are you all right?"

Kagome nodded dully and stood.  

"Where's Inuyasha?  He's the last one."  Shippou mumbled, "He _was supposed to bring us more dinner."_

"I'm worried as well."  Miroku allowed the kitsune to climb up on his shoulder, "but I am more afraid for those that cross his path."

Kagome tried as hard as she could to mask the tears in her eyes.  She looked skyward, hoping to distract herself long enough to swallow her them whole.  Her eyes searched for the moon to check its progression.  The sky was an intense black, as though it had been beaten into black by a greater force.  Even the stars had hidden their faces that night.

"You guys . . ." She whispered, the words rolling painfully slow from her tongue.  They followed her gaze upward, feelings of trepidation and apprehension floated upward with their eyes.

"_Damn it."  Kagome swore viciously, "This is the worst possible time for this."_

"We can't just leave him out there, Kagome, someone needs to go out and find him."

"Yes, but--!" Realizing there were prying ears, Kagome began much softly, "Inuyasha would never forgive us for betraying his secret."

Miroku sighed painfully, rubbing a hand over his face, "But we can't leave Kouga and Jaken here.  They'll have no way of protecting themselves."  

"You and Sango stay here then.  I think I know where he is!"  Kagome was already leaving before either could protest.  She reached for her bow, a handful of arrows, and headed deeper into the wilderness, unafraid. 

"This is not going to end well."  Miroku whispered, settling himself down next to Sango and the fire.  Shippou seemed to burrow deeper against the warmth of his chest.  

========

This was the second time in the past week that Kagome had gone out alone to search for Inuyasha.  Though it was no less important to find him, she did not rush herself in finding him.  Instead, Kagome closed her eyes and breathed in deeply.  

A swirl of colors filled her closed vision, most harsh and grim.  However, interweaved with the mutating and ugly strands was a single white one.  It gleamed—a single shimmer of hope—and faded as she opened her eyes.

_There._

Caught on a twisted branch of a decaying tree was a clump of white hair.  It waved delicately in the air, as if to signal the right path.  A faint smile touched her lips, and she followed the trail.  

Hidden from normal sight by a natural overhang in the earth, Inuyasha held his eyes closed.  The remaining white fibers nested around him almost protectively.  He didn't hear her approach and most certainly could not smell her.  She felt a certain pang of disappointment rush through her.  Kagome was practically standing over him before she spoke.

"Inu . . . yasha . . .?"  She whispered.  

He said nothing, and his eyes remained closed.  Kagome knelt down beside him, panic finally seizing her entire frame.  Was he . . .? 

His arms flashed out and pulled her against him.  Kagome stumbled forward into his embraced, muffling a loud yelp of surprise.  His hand went up against her mouth, silencing any further outcry; it smelled of sandal wood and fall leaves.  

Over their heads, across the natural land bridge, she heard the faint sniffing and heavy stepping of what she could only assume was a youkai.  It seemed to prance closer and closer until it was above the pair.  Kagome could practically feel the foul stench of its breath on the back of her neck.  Glancing up to Inuyasha, she took to his example and quickly shut her eyes.  

There was a loud clang as the untransformed Tetsusaiga slammed upward through the earth to pierce the bowels of the youkai.  Inuyasha would have preferred for it to have fallen down silently, but the youkai persistently screeched in agony until the hanyou slit its throat open.  They had to leave the area as quickly as possible—there was no doubt in his mind that another had heard the youkai's death call.

"Let's go, Kagome!"

"Wait, we can't go back to the others!  They'll find out about--!" Inuyasha halted in his tracks, realizing what she was getting at.  Of course the girl was right; if he was to go back there he would be practically begging for the wolf, or even Sesshoumaru to come finish him off.  

He glanced down nervously and Kagome met his gaze.  Touched by the fact that she had recklessly come looking for him _again, Inuyasha's main priority was making sure nothing came to devour her.  A swift and fleeting wind passed by them as they stood.  _

Inuyasha made a decision.

"It doesn't matter.  I can't protect you like this."

Kagome looked upset, "You'll have no way of protecting _yourself."_

His eyes were emotional now, ashy under the weight of the situation, "I'll have to hide myself better."  

The priestess snorted, but grabbed his hand as they rushed through the forest.  The duo made it about three dozen yards before something caught up with them.  Kagome, to present time, still retained no memory of what the actual youkai was.  She, instead, was too busy scrambling to get away—and too afraid to look back.  She reached back for her bow, only to meet thin air.  In the heat of the moment, she must have left them back at Inuyasha's hiding place.  

"We need to split up.  Run as fast as you can back to the group, Kagome.  Don't stop, don't look back."  

"What about you?"  She breathed out, refusing to let go of his hand.

"I promise I'll meet you there, Kagome."  A thunderous crash slammed through the night.  Inuyasha literally had to push her forward to get her shocked body moving. When she was off, she was running.

Inuyasha had no intention of actually running.  His Tetsusaiga might have been unable to transform, but he certainly had not lost his resolution to fight.  

"All right, fucker.  I've had a really bad day."  He drew out the rusted blade slowly and crouched in the darkness of the moon-less sky.  Inuyasha waited.  He was a hunter, after all.  

========

Kouga snapped through his ropes like they had been made of bread.  The humans and kitsune around the campfire heard the break, but were unable to move quickly enough to block the wolf youkai's escape.  The call of the wild had flared up, and not even Shippou was immune.

Kouga headed straight towards her strong heartbeat, crimson eyes flashing in the night.  

========

Kagome grasped the fact that the youkai wasn't following her about the same time that she acknowledged the fact she had no idea where she was.  She had been stumbling through the pitch black forest for what seemed like an eternity.  Tree branches she brushed against became a threat in her mind.  Every time she freed herself, however, she cursed her own anxiety.  This meant that either the youkai had gotten lost, or it had chosen to follow Inuyasha. A part of her was ashamed for not insisting on staying with her protector.  But that other insignificant half finally felt a little safer.  

She tried closing her eyes again, focusing on her friends.  The thundering beat of her own heart blocked out any recognition she had for them.  Dread gripped her and held her firmly in place:  the crunching of dead leaves let her know that she had been followed after all.

'_I need to run.  Run, run, run.' Her legs refused to move.  Kagome was almost too afraid to breathe._

'_Where's my strength?  When did I get so weak?'_

The youkai flew from out of the depths of the sky's shadow, springing upon her from above.  Kagome let out a horrified shriek.

Kouga threw himself from the opposite direction and met the beast halfway with an inhumane howl.  He didn't need more than a moment; the attacking youkai was torn to shreds. Kagome should have come to her senses and run as fast as she could in any direction.  She should have known better.

"Um, Kouga . . . ?"

Kagome tried to take a step back, but Kouga looked up from where he was busy dismembering the youkai.  His claws looked as though they had been dipped in ink pots.  

Kouga growled something at her, expecting her to understand his command completely.  She tried whispering his name again to elicit some response.  His eyes, normally brave and kind, were now almost as sinister as the sky above.  

He stood slowly and began stalking towards her.  Kagome tried to maintain an equal distance between the two, but her heel hit a root from a tree that had been jutting out from the earth.  In an instant, she fell hard to the ground, her ankle completely twisted.

"No . . ." she moaned, "Please, no, no, no . . ."  

If his kiss had not spoken volumes to her before, it was screaming in her ears.  Kouga pounced on her, pinning her to the ground.  The wolf began to sniff her, smearing the youkai's blood along her arms and legs.  His hands went as high as her thighs before she truly began to call for any type of help.  It could have even been another youkai trying to kill her--surely that would have been a much better fate than this.  

The minute she opened her mouth, his fist came smashing over it.  She was dazed, but the metallic taste of blood in her mouth kept her aware.  She tried kneeing him in the groin, but he seemed unaffected.

"Stop, please, Kouga, _stop_!"  She tried pushing him away, but he just jerked her more forcefully into the ground, raking his claws along her skin hard enough to draw blood.  He used his tongue to smear it further.  

She was still pleading with him when he used his claws to slit open her top.  This incited more screams from her.  An angry grunt, followed his hand traveling up and down her torso and he made sure to dig his nails into her sides just long enough for tears to escape her eyes.  Just long enough to realize how futile trying to escape and call for help really was.  

"This isn't you," she wanted that light, whatever that light was, to come back, "I don't want to hurt you, please, please, please _stop!"_

But he didn't.  

Kagome looked up to the sky and prayed for her misfortune and hard times to pass.  It was a simple prayer that her grandfather had taught her when money had begun to run low at the shrine.  If it had not been for a generous donation from a corporation, the family would have had to have given up its home. 

'_Home.__  I want to go home . . .'_

When she was able to focus her eyes she saw her over Kouga's taunt shoulders.

'_Emiko, please help me.  Please . . .'_

The little girl stuck out her small hand and smiled.

**_'Come with me, Kagome, I won't let anything bad happen to you.'_**

****

Reaching out from where Kouga's arm held her very firmly, her hand distantly touched the little girls', and they vanished. 

========

Inuyasha used the hilt of the Tetsusaiga to lean upon as he made his way back to the encampment.  His leg had been lamed by the youkai who had pinned him to the ground.  Inuyasha's face proudly displayed the slashes and bruises that he had taken without as much as a whisper to show his pain.  

 The firelight was dim; he blinked his eyes to try to clear them from a cloudy haze that had settled in.  

Had Kagome made it back all right?  He couldn't see her from where he was.  Tomorrow, he hoped, would be like any other day.  Tomorrow she would sit him a hundred thousand times in vengeance for making her worry, she would yell and scream at him.  

But she would be safe and close to his heart.

"Inuyasha!"  Sango had seen him before he had caught sight of her.  Jaken was being unwrapped from the tree and stumbled over towards him.  The moonless sky had impaired his judgment as well.  

Miroku caught the hanyou just as he had begun to collapse.  Using all his weight to off set Inuyasha's, he carefully laid him out next to the fire and drew a blanket over him.  Inuyasha stared ahead, trying to breathe.  Shippou appeared next, trying to compress his open wounds and placing little bandages over the ones that weren't so horrible.  Sango forced water down his throat, muttering what sounded to be reassurances.  For the first time in his life, Inuyasha was truly grateful for the friends he had.

Jaken stood off to the side, trying to levy the situation.  The radical change in the appearance—black hair, vulnerability to wounds—was support for his grand master's theory.  The night of the new moon was the single night that the hanyou could be killed without much a fight.  

Jaken, for the life of him, never understood why Sesshoumaru never capitalized on his half brother's weakness until this very moment.  He swallowed his pride, and offered his assistance.  

"Kagome!"  The hanyou was gasping, "Where is Kagome?"

"She wasn't with you?!"  Sango's eyes widened in terror.

"We . . ." Inuyasha took a labored breath, ". . . split up."

"Kouga broke his bonds."  Miroku informed him, "We don't know where he is."

Inuyasha tried to sit up, knowing just how desperate the situation had become, "He's going to attack her--!"

"I'll go, you stay here."  Sango stood, heaving the Hiraikotsu up with her, "Don't worry, I'll protect her."

Sango didn't need to leave, for Kouga had appeared only moments later.  The two elder humans dove in front of their friend, desperately trying to mask him from view. 

The wolf youkai strolled back and forth across the forest clearing, like a warden inspecting new prisoners.  His hands and clothing were spattered with so much blood that it made Miroku's heart sink just to look at him.  

"We might have to kill him," he announced in a low voice, "but we should try our hardest not to."

Amazingly enough, Kouga went straight for Jaken, completely bypassing the hanyou on the ground.  The toad-like youkai squealed like a stuck pig and began trying to beat Kouga away with his staff.  All knowledge of spells left his mind and the wolf knocked his prized possession away.  

For what little good it did, the Hiraikotsu blindsided the wolf youkai into easing up on his grip.  Distracted, Kouga missed Shippou crawling through his legs to pull Jaken to safety.  The kitsune literally threw him over his shoulder and ran blindly towards Miroku and Sango.  Inuyasha had begun to stand up when Kouga made his slow, calculated approach.  

"Stay back, Inuyasha."  Sango warned as if to say _I'm a demon exterminator, this is my job_.   

"Like _Hell._"  He grunted between clenched teeth.  The whole scenario made little sense to him—why was it that Shippou and Jaken had snapped out of the bloodlust so quickly, and Kouga was still affected?

They needed a plan fast; Miroku, as a last resort could use the air void . . . but only as a very last resort.  If and when Kouga finally came to, they still needed to find out where Kagome was.  

"Shippou, I have an idea . . . but I need you to distract him."    He leaned forward, whispering the rest of the plan to Miroku and Sango.  Jaken remained stretched out by the dying fire, wailing in his deepest woe. 

"Kitsune bi!"  Shippou yelled, watching it being swatted away.  He transformed into the familiar pink ball and floated over the wolf youkai's head.  He would get close, bounce against his head, and then pull away as quickly as possible back into the air.  

Meanwhile, Sango and Miroku went wide, taking opposite paths along either side of the clearing.  The monk helped launch Sango into the tree and waited for Inuyasha's signal.

"Hey, Shit For Brains," Inuyasha used the hilt of the Tetsusaiga to nail Kouga in the head, "Didja miss me?"

 The wolf, lost in a stage between complete outrage and primal urges, immediately lunged for the human.  If he had been in perfect health, there was no doubt in Inuyasha's mind that he could out run the youkai for at least a little while.   Using the wolf's weight and momentum, Inuyasha dropped and rolled backwards with the attack.  His leg screamed with his inflamed wound, but he stood back up quickly, allowing the youkai to come to his senses.  

Kouga shook his head as if shaking a long sleep off of his body and brought out something into view.  Inuyasha's eyes narrowed and Kouga brought it to his nose to inhale deeply.  Seeing that the human was watching him (some part of Kouga must have realized who he was, Inuyasha was sure of it) a malicious grin spread across his face.  Slowly, he released the object into view, finger by finger, the weight of the world carrying it down until Inuyasha couldn't breathe.

A familiar piece of sweatshirt dangled in front of the wolf's face.  

Inuyasha's face contorted into the ugliest expression of human rage Shippou had ever seen.  Slamming the Tetsusaiga into the ground, he gripped the hilt as tightly as he could. 

Miroku saw the signal and released the air void.  The landscape was ripped up, but Inuyasha merely held onto the sword, focusing on staying in one place.  Kouga, as was expected, went flying backwards.  Shippou remained on Miroku's shoulder, watching the scene with a dispassionate look on his face.  The wolf youkai slammed into the tree slightly to the left of Miroku, and the monk closed the void.  Sango leapt down from the tree, lassoing the remaining rope they had left around Kouga.  The monk began the spell as Sango desperately tried to hold him in place.  

Finally, frustrated that the spell seemed to not be working again, Inuyasha limped over.  Unsheathing the sword that had remained at Kouga's side as decoration for so long, he ran the blade straight through the youkai's shoulder and into the tree.  Shippou and Miroku jumped back nervously as the tip of the sword flashed out only inches from their faces.

Kouga howled in pain, but his cries fell on deaf ears.  Exhausted, Inuyasha let himself be carried back towards the fire.  His wounds, previously bound with extreme care, seemed to have opened up during the heat of the fight.

'_Kagome . . .' a pained expression washed over his face and he quickly passed out._

========

"Kanna, do you know why human girls are such pests?"

There was no reply; his offspring merely stood looking at him with the typical blank expression.  The mirror he held firmly in his lap displayed repeated images of Kohaku and Kagura's deaths, Kagome escaping again and again, and even of the village women. 

"Because, Kanna, they simply will not die."

A dark smile crossed Naraku's face.  Besides the minor set backs and loss of force, everything was going according to plan.  Within months, perhaps even weeks, Donovan and Dreamweaver would cross through the time rip back into the past.  It had taken nearly three hundred years of waiting on his part.  He had lingered patiently in his dormant state, watching as the human folk built their cities.  They had spread like wildfire across the land until nothing but cold concrete and harsh metal covered the terrain.  

The heartbeat of the world had begun to beat at a rapid pace, and Naraku had known that it was finally time to implement his plan.  Donovan was created and the world began to go to Hell.  

The hanyou and the reincarnated girl, who had died upon his own "death," had forgotten one major point when they stepped onto his battlefield.  Naraku could not—would not—be killed.  They could strike down his bodies and bury his spirit within enchanted cases, but his will would not be destroyed.  Unlike the human girls, his life was not based upon luck.  Rather, he was able to _see_, to understand what had happened in the past and what would happen in the future.  

Time bent and swayed, but it would never be broken.  

The future was his and now it was time for the past to join his baleful crusade.  When he was finished with it, it would be Hell on Earth.  

His eyes flashed down towards his lap.  Kikyou's reincarnation had reappeared in a strange flash of light.  She stumbled towards her group and collapsed on the ground.  Naraku narrowed his eyes, enraged.

"Kanna.  Kill her."

The white haired offspring began to move when her master spoke again.

"_Kill _them all_."_

========

There was no flower field this time.  There was no rushing of lights past her.  There were no warm feelings of safety and security.  

As soon as Kagome had slipped into the empty place her entire body began to ache.  The place she had gone to was nothing, a blank void in which she was surrounded by black.  She shivered.

"Emiko . . .?"  She called, pushing herself to her feet.  It hurt every muscle in her body, but she stood and called for the little girl again.

**_"Kagome, this is your empty place.__" _******

"There's nothing here," Kagome called back.  The girl was no where to be seen. 

**_"There is nothing, because there is no reason for there to be anything."_**

"Please send me back now, Emiko, I need to let the others know that I'm still alive."  Their feelings were a garbled mess of hurt, anger, and adrenaline. 

**_"Go back, then."_**

****

Kagome blinked, "But I need your help to get back . . ."

**_"A voice was heard in the dark of night_**

**_to_****_ hollow out the moon_**

**_she_****_ screamed and shouted with all her might,_**

**_and_****_ only met her doom."_**

****

"You're not helping me," Kagome was literally begging now, "I can't stay here forever."

**_"Think, think, think.  Go, go, go."_**

****

Kagome clenched her eyes shut and tried to feel around for some hidden trap door.  It was as if she was in a box; the surfaces surrounding her were smooth and flat like still water.

Just then, the ghostly form of the little girl appeared to her left, "Kagome, you need to focus.  Everything here is a possibility."

Kagome looked startled, "So if I imagine . . .?"

"You may go to or fro between places, but it will take power to move back to earthly spaces."

The reincarnated priestess bowed her head gratefully, "I have no power left in me.  I'm so tired."

The little girl held out her hand again and a silent promise was made.  Kagome closed her eyes and thought of her friends; each little line in their face, their posture, their laughs.  And in the end, she inhaled one final deep breath.

'_I want to go back!'_

A sound like thunder rolled and intense illumination flared up around her, forming a circle.  

'_I want to go back!  I want to go back!  I want to go back!'_

Her feet began to rise from the ground slowly, and she drifted apart from Emiko.  _Thank you she wanted to whisper, but a tear fell down instead._

**_"I'm always here for you, Kagome . . ."_**

========

"What . . . the fuck . . .  just happened?"  

Sango and Miroku turned their heads back towards the tree, coming face to face with a normalized Kouga.  Sango set her jaw very tightly and went back to working on Inuyasha.  It was still dark outside, at least another four or five hours before the sun officially rose.  

"You escaped from your bonds.  We were desperate."  Miroku explained, also revolving away from the youkai.  

Shippou was the only one willing to untie the wolf from the tree.  But even then he hardly spoke two words.  Kouga pulled the sword from his shoulder with a painful grunt.  The muscles in his body had been overworked; they were sore and stiff to the point that it hurt him to even move.

"Where's Kagome?"

Sango whirled around again, vexation splayed across her face, "You tell _us, Kouga."_

He took a step back, trying to remember what had happened.  There had been the kiss, but everything after remained fuzzy and uncertain.  

As if the higher powers had heard his question, they answered it.  To the left of the fire was an overwhelming light that cut through the sky like a thief in the night.  Miroku stood and moved towards it uncertainly.  When the glow finally began to fade a figure appeared at its core.  Her hair was dark, in disarray and matted, and upon her were streaks of maroon and crimson.  

Miroku's arm flashed out faster than Sango had ever seen it move to catch her.  Kagome never opened her eyes but he could feel her chest moving slightly up and down, her breathe in and out.  He moved her over and spread her out next to Inuyasha.  The sweatshirt which had previously been in pristine condition was now ravaged—torn straight down the middle, revealing more of Kagome to him than he ever wanted to see.  Days ago he would have been more than willing; his reputation was staked on lewd touches and comments.  But never, _ever, would he do something so horrendous, so, so . . . __ugly to his friend.  _

"Kagome . . ." Sango tried to clean off her friend's face, her own heart frozen in her chest.  Shippou cried piteously. 

Kouga remained silent for a very long while.  He did not move to touch her like he normally would have.  His eyes flickered back and forth between the two figures and the pool of black hair between them.  The night had finally sunk back into his head. 

_"Stop, please, Kouga, stop!"  _

He took a step back, "I think . . . I had better go."

"Yes, Kouga," Miroku's face was horrifyingly calm; "I think you'd better go."

Things were only going to get worse.  They still had far to go and people to find before the journey was over.  It seemed like every moment of his waking life had been spent leading up to these times.  Every test, every trial—they would be nothing compared to what was to come. 

 And Miroku knew in the deepest chambers of his heart that the night had changed them all. 

========

Hey dudes.   This took me the entire two weeks of winter break to pen up.  Sorry for the long wait; I hope everyone had a great holiday season!  Think of this as a back-to-school present? 

(I know, I know, poor Kagome.  Poor everyone.  This is way too much fun for me.)  

3 Sashi 2003


	8. Part 7: A Human Girl

Warning! This chapter (as well as the previous ones and the ones soon to follow) contains some really vulgar language, violence, and gore. It's nothing out of character, but it might be offensive if you're a Church-goin' folk.

Author's Note:

I think I should explain why this chapter took as long as it did.

My problem right now isn't with writer's block or a lack of time; it's with the series itself. Lately the manga has been dragging us fans kicking and screaming through a prolonged ending that should have come last year. If you only follow the anime or if you're a new fan to the series (especially if you don't keep up with weekly manga translations) you might not understand the frustration… but as much as I personally love and adore the series it's just… dragging on and on and the characters are all acting strange.

So, without further ado and another year of waiting…

Oh, wait. If there be any grammatical mistakes, blame the fact that it's now 3 AM and I can't be arsed to read through it tonight. :x

And don't forget to send comments and criticism my way, dammit!

**

* * *

**

**A Thousand Years**

(Part 7: A Human Girl)

By Mourning is property of Rumiko Takahashi, this is my story and if you steal it, you will die and that's the end of that.

* * *

_"It was unearthly, and the men were—No, they were not inhuman. Well, you know, that was the worst of it—the suspicion of their not being inhuman. It would come slowly to one. They howled and leaped, and spun, and made horrid faces; but what thrilled you was just the thought of their humanity—like yours—the thought of your remote kinship with this wild and passionate uproar. Ugly. Yes, it was ugly enough; but if you were man enough you would admit to yourself that there was in you just the faintest trace of a response to the terrible frankness of that noise, a dim suspicion of there being a meaning in it which you—you so remote from the night of first ages—could comprehend. And why not?"_

Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness

* * *

A sense of dread awoke that morning with Kagome.

Lying still with her eyes closed, she could feel a heightened tension stretched across her surroundings. Reaching out along the rough ground, she raked her hands through the dry leaves. A deep breath—she was back at the camp ground.

"Girl?" A small voice whispered, hesitantly, "Are you awake?"

Cracking her eyes open to the onslaught of light that filtered through the trees above the clearing, she flashed her eyes in the general direction of the sound.

"Jaken?" She croaked out, more surprised than anything.

The toad-like youkai had knelt down beside her, his staff spread across his lap. His expression, as always, was unreadable, but she couldn't help but notice a small swell of relief bubble up inside of him before popping out of his mouth.

"Finally. You filthy humans sleep far too much."

"Where is everyone?" She asked, propping herself up on her elbows. Feeling a sudden draft, she glanced down at her attire. A thin blush spread across her cheeks and she fell back down against the rocky ground. Kouga had managed to slice open her top, and apparently her friends had taken it upon themselves to rebind her sweatshirt with one of the extra bras she had packed. The clasps on what normally would have been the back were uneven were compressing her chest.

As her surroundings became crisper and her sight more focused, she realized that her ankle no longer ached from a strain. Was it the effects of her meeting with Emiko…?

Jaken stood, gaining only a slight amount of height, "They went out inspecting. That brat of a hanyou insisted on finding some sort of food."

Kagome nodded numbly, her expression grave as she went for her only spare set of clothing. Turning her back on the toad, (who watched intently in a sort of wonderment) she replaced her ruined shirt and sweatshirt with a bland pink shirt and black zip up hooded sweatshirt. They would have to last.

She stood up a little bit shaky, but managed to control her footing in little time. Jaken lead her to a small stream and she washed her face and rinsed her hair out. All the while, the little youkai stared at her—something that not only made her uneasy, but very self conscious about what had happened.

Back at the camp, she was in the middle of finishing her first French braid when the group came stomping back into view. Inuyasha was still ranting about leaving her alone with just Jaken, and Miroku still insisting that she would be fine.

"Hey, did you guys find anything? I'm famished." Kagome complained, hoping to avoid last night's situation at all costs. There was a shocked silence as four heads shot in the direction of the small girl, looking up through her wet hair as she braided. She gave Sango a pleading look, and the older girl seemed to understand.

Miroku opened his mouth, but Sango cut in.

"Yes! For some reason all the rabbits were forced from their holes. We were basically tripping over them."

"It was great!" Shippou began, hopping over to her excitedly, "I caught three all by myself."

"That's wonderful!" Kagome smiled, clenching the hair tie between her teeth as she finished her braid. Her eyes locked with Inuyasha's, but she quickly diverted them, fearing that they'd give her away.

That is, unless of course, he already knew…in which case they would be spending the rest of their duration on earth hunting down Kouga...

"Here, help me please." Miroku handed one of the branches they had tied a rabbit to in Kagome's direction, and she held onto it while Sango rekindled the fire.

"Sesshoumaru-sama would have caught twice as many." Jaken grumbled under his breath.

"Something ya wanna say, toad?" Inuyasha snapped; even Shippou looked a little wounded.

"It's better to only catch what you need, otherwise it would be a waste." Kagome input, wisely.

No one said a word after that.

* * *

The group began traveling again, this time without any other alpha male to slow their progress. Sango, Miroku and Kagome took turns holding Jaken and Shippou when their small strides became too slow for the pace they were going at.

"Stop." Sango said, her voice catching in her throat, "Inuyasha, stop!"

He looked back at her, obviously annoyed, "What is _now_?"

"There was a village here, not more than two months ago." He looked to her again as if to ask what her point was.

"So this one vanished as well..." Miroku wandered slightly to the right, weaving in and out of the trees, "there isn't a foundation or even fire hole."

"Are you sure, Sango?" Kagome asked, Shippou clutching tightly to her arm.

"I don't like this place..." Shippou mumbled, "It's giving me the creeps." Kagome rubbed his back in comfort.

Inuyasha broke his gaze from the two and announced, "We'll split up and see if we can find anything."

Kagome watched in mild amusement as Sango and Miroku—almost naturally—went off together; Jaken snatched Shippou as soon as Kagome released him, unwilling to cooperate with a hanyou or human girl for any time longer than necessary.

This left afore two persons standing helplessly together. Kagome swallowed hard as she looked to Inuyasha's back. What would the difference be? Didn't they always pair up and go off looking for shards or youkai? Wasn't he her friend?

Kagome cleared her throat and he turned his head in her direction, "Don't be so depressed, Inuyasha, you're scaring me." She cracked a smile and walked past him. Inuyasha seemed to look to her for a moment longer than he should have.

'_Why is my heart pounding? Does he know?'_

She stopped and waited for him to catch up, wondering why she felt so ashamed of herself when there had been nothing between the two other than friendship to begin with.

"Are you ... OK?" Inuyasha finally asked. She could tell that it had been building up inside of him, and was amazed that the question had lasted until he could talk to her privately.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" She smiled again, though she could feel the tears forming at the back of her eyes.

"Kouga..." he began, "had a piece of your weird shirt last night, and you weren't back at camp..."

Kagome bit her lip, "Nothing happened. I got away before he did anything really bad." It was the truth, and she earnestly hoped that he would believe her.

Inuyasha's face seemed to lighten ever so slightly, "Well then, you stupid bitch, what took you so long to get back to camp?"

Kagome had to laugh, "I ran and ran and ran and I sort of forgot I needed to be running in the direction of the camp."

"That's not funny." Inuyasha insisted, lifting a piece of bark and bringing it to his noise. He did the same with the next two trees before finishing, "You didn't do what I told you to do."

So apparently Inuyasha was now her lord and master. She bit back a retort and asked, "What are you doing, exactly?"

The hanyou seemed to be considering something, "These trees... how old do you think they are?"

Kagome looked up, judging their height and size, "I'd say they weren't more than five or ten years old."

"These trees should be ancient." Inuyasha smelt some of their leaves, "they have the smell of saplings."

A thought suddenly blindsided her, "I know a way we can tell exactly how old they are." This seemed to catch the hanyou's attention.

"If you cut down one of these trees—,"

Inuyasha lopped one off with ease, giving her an impassionate look. The top portion of the tree thundered to the ground and echoed throughout the forest. Sango and Miroku shouted in their direction, but Inuyasha ignored it.

Kagome blinked and hovered over the stump, "See these rings? They tell how old the tree actually is, how much water they took in, whether the season was dry or rainy..."

Inuyasha nodded deciding to trust her strange method, "I count... eleven."

She met his gaze, "Me too."

"What happened?" Sango gasped as she and Miroku stumbled through the foliage.

"These trees are only eleven years old." Inuyasha stated, pointing to the trunk.

They both looked suspiciously back and forth between Inuyasha and the stump, "And you can tell just by looking?" Sango didn't find it humorous for him to be joking at such a crucial time.

"It's a modern time thing..." Kagome's voice trailed off as she caught a glimpse of white from the corner of her eye. Miroku and Sango inspected it for themselves as the figure materialized over a different fallen log.

Kagome's mouth moved, forming her name and began to slowly walk in that direction. When she got close, Emiko moved backwards, leading her towards something in the distance. The priestess had one leg over the log before the trio noticed her departing form.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha called, dragging Miroku and Sango after the girl.

Kagome, it seemed, was in a different world. Ghosts of homes and roads lit up around her, highlighting where the village should have been. Phantoms of people flickered in and out of her movement, laughing and moving through crowds. To her left was a dark haired girl stringing together a little necklace out of stones and shells, at her right was an old woman waving a scroll in the air.

Miroku, Sango, and Inuyasha were also affected. For the first time they were exposed to what Kagome thought were her hallucinations.

"What the _fuck_ ...?" Inuyasha reached out to touch the arm of a man passing by. His claws sank through the air and returned back to his side in disbelief.

Kagome spun around her face scrunched up in concentration, "The village was here. Right here where we're standing."

"Some one must be trying to tell us something." Miroku explained, "But we just don't understand it."

"No...no..." Kagome whispered, "I think I do."

Inuyasha nodded, finally comprehending as well.

"The trees are eleven, the village shouldn't be here. In the Sengoku Jidai they're at least a hundred—maybe even a thousand years old."

"So we've slipped back in time?" Sango rubbed her eyes as the images disappeared and the normal light escaped through the trees and onto them.

"No, the landscape has..."

"Then where are the people? If the same thing happened to Kaede's village, why were they still there, and these people not?" Sango was getting frustrated. Miroku placed a hand on her shoulder, in a gesture that did not escape either Kagome or Inuyasha.

No one had time to think of a reply—Shippou's shrill screams could be heard from only a short distance away.

"Shippou! What's the matter?" The four ran at neck breaking speeds to where Jaken and Shippou had huddled into balls of fluff and scales. The kitsune merely pointed a shaking finger at the pile of brush nearby. Inuyasha moved toward it first, lifting the shrubbery off with ease.

Sango, Miroku and Kagome circled the enormous hole, seized—hearts arrested.

Beneath them were the villagers, laid out like rows of lilacs in a garden, their eyes open to the heavens above them. Kagome was so taken back that she took several steps backwards to get away from the scene.

"I think we found the villagers." Miroku spoke up, jumping down into the pit. He avoiding the bodies carefully, but inspected them with flared scrutiny.

"There's no blood—no scent of death. How the hell did I miss something like this?" Inuyasha jumped down next to the monk.

Sango remained above, but crouched down to get a better view. Inuyasha and Miroku began to lift the bodies out when Inuyasha noticed something very curious. Pressing the chest of little boy to his ear, his suspicions were confirmed.

"They're not dead."

'_Oh no, oh no, oh no.'_ Kagome, in that exact instant, knew their affliction.

Miroku's hand hovered over the mouths of those closets to him and confirmed, "It's faint, but there."

"If they're not dead, then why aren't they moving?" Shippou's bravery had returned full circle.

"This is just like the village Sesshoumaru-sama and I came across..." Jaken added, trying to hide his shame in the fact that he had acted more childlike than Shippou.

'_No wonder Sesshoumaru-sama left this unworthy being to die...'_

"Then what?"

"They're asleep," Kagome whispered, though the wind seemed to catch her words and carry them throughout the land. She pressed both hands to her mouth, almost like a subconscious effort to contain a heavy secret.

"…They're dreaming."

* * *

She pressed herself against the wall of the hut as tightly as she could, sucking in air through her nose until she thought her lungs would burst. She couldn't afford to make even the slightest noise.

The little girl had learned how to sneak around—how to approach animals that you would like to take and eat. It was second nature to her now, after traveling for so long. The cleaning of the meat had always been done for her—she wasn't even a decade old yet—as was the cooking and serving. So, her problem was not having to hunt for her own meals, but instead, not knowing how to prepare a meal to be consumed.

That's not to say that she hadn't tried to do it all by herself. After the village had initially rejected her and no family was willing to take in another stranger to feed, she set up a small trap and caught a rabbit. But the rabbit remained in the trap and she went hungry.

How do you get the coat off of little animal without long nails?

She had walked away from its limp body and towards a small grouping of rocks. The little girl sat down and had waited, almost expecting the rabbit to be magically prepared. _Almost_ expecting him to come and hand it to her. Eventually another animal had come and devoured the carcass itself. She had just remained motionless, staring at the scene with an air of apathy and regret.

How did she know what was food when he wasn't the one handing it to her?

The hunger had become unbearable now. She could not content herself to fill her empty belly with just water from the stream or what people threw out for their pigs to eat. The little girl had lain down to sleep one night in the forest, and for the first time, had seen every bone in her ribcage.

Tonight she would be able to eat. It was devious of her, she knew, maybe even wrong—but it was nothing she had never done before. Rin was done being hungry and tired.

He wasn't coming back for her.

The candle light flickered as the woman inside prepared her family's meal for the night. Rin had been watching her for a couple of days now, following the heavy set woman's body as she traced through fields of wheat, as she cooked, and later, as she left the hut to fetch her children and husband from all corners of the small village.

Wood creaked as the woman came down the steps. Rin felt a strange emotion well up inside of her, as if just realizing for the first time what was happening to her and the world.

She looked both ways, slipped through the flimsy red blanket they were using as a door. Only two moments later she darted out with a bowl of rice and a small basket of bread. Her feet carried her forward as fast as she could make them work. Like her, they were blistered and bloodied from her consistent roaming around the forest. Rin didn't want to be around when the family discovered the food was gone; she didn't want to hear their angered and shocked cries.

She tripped and her basket of bread went flying as she fell to the ground, hard. The angry howl of her empty stomach whistled up to her ears as she lay there, dazed.

Shifting some, she felt something dig into her hands and turned her head.

The ceramic bowl containing the rice was broken, the rice scattered around it in a halo. It reminded her of snow. The basket of bread was within a foot of her head, but had flipped itself over into the mud.

Rin let out a startled cry and pushed herself up, trying to scoop the rice into a pile. She frantically grabbed it by the handful and shoved it into her mouth. She didn't care that it was more dirt than anything else. Tears had begun to streak down the length of her cheeks.

Once there was no rice left, she picked up the loaf of bread and ate that toomud and all. But even after all was eaten and she found herself finally able to move, her stomach still cried out for more.

* * *

Sango shifted her glance sideways, carefully taking in the rapidly changing expression on her friend's face.

"God fucking _damn it_! We are not finding a village to stay in!"

"Inuyasha, think rationally! Neither you or Kagome have the strength to keep going," Miroku arched a brow, "With wounds like the ones you sustained, I can imagine that not even you are healed yet."

Kagome looked between the two arguing males, wondering if she should put in her two cents. Shippou had long since passed out from sheer exhaustion, and she was cradling him against her shoulder. Sango watched her rub her dirtied hand up and down the kitsune's back, almost absentmindedly.

"No, there's no fucking way! There isn't even a village near here, not to mention that all the villages that we _have_ passed have magically disappeared!"

"And he's afraid of the bloodlust and not being able to control himself." Kagome put in, dryly.

"—And I'm afraid of the bloodlust and not being able to control—_HEY!_" Inuyasha whipped his head around and gave her a long, hard stare. Granted, she had always been able to _somehow_ sense his concerns in a given situation, but that… that had been his exact train of thought.

Sango blinked, "Inuyasha, if you're worried about that then you should isolate yourself from us for the night."

"And risk you all getting torn apart by another moon crazy youkai? I don't fucking think so."

"If you want my opinion…" Jaken began, puffing his chest out dramatically.

"You were able to control yourself the first night, Inuyasha. And besides, it doesn't seem like it lasts long enough for you to do any real damage." Miroku slid a sly smile on his face, "And besides, I'm sure _Kagome_ will be able to shake you from the lust—that is, a totally non,"

"_Houshi-sama__…_" Sango's expression darkened considerably and it was mirrored on the hanyou's face as well. Kagome seemed to be too worn out for anything of the situation to make sense to her.

"If my memory serves me correctly!" Jaken began again, twitching in annoyance.

"Please you guys just hurry up and decide. Inuyasha, I'm sure you'll be able to control yourself. Shippou's too tired to try anything. And Jaken… what is Jaken going to do? Beat us to death with his staff?" Kagome turned her head back towards the group. For a moment Inuyasha's expression seemed to waver in concern and soften in consent, but it was quickly steeled.

"I'm in charge, and _I _decide!" Miroku and Sango both took a step back out his outburst. Kagome just looked irritated and sat down right where she was.

"_Damn it_, why are you all being so stubborn?" Inuyasha's ears began to lay flat against his head, as tell tale sign that his temper would be erupting in the very near future.

Jaken was used to certain, if not minute, amount of respect. Traveling with his glorious master had taught him patience and how to be demure about suggesting things. If the situation called for it, his wondrous master listened to him, sometimes even going so far as to ask for his judgment in a circumstance. It was _obvious_ that the human blood in the hanyou had polluted such noble traits. Jake was left to default back on the opinion that there was no way that the half-breed imbecile was related so closely to Sesshoumaru.

Inuyasha began to stamp his foot on the ground, hollering about one thing or another.

Jaken hung his head.

"Stop being such a stupid bitch, Kagome!"

"Why are you so angry tonight, Inuyasha? Calm down!"

Another indignant foot stamp.

There was… just no way.

Apart of him had always felt sorry for the hanyou's predicament. The way that Sesshoumaru had always referred to him was not necessarily in spite—but there certainly was no admiration for his younger half brother. Jaken had always assumed that his righteous master harbored some tolerance for the hanyou based on the fact that he was of the same blood on his father's side.

But Inuyasha was half of everything. Half youkai. Half human. Half brother. Half witted…

If he had grown up the same way Sesshoumaru had, what would he have been like? Jaken knew from his wanderings prior to meeting the inu youkai that Sesshoumaru had led a life of great extravagance and schooling. It didn't surprise him in the least to find that Inuyasha was ignorant in so many things that should have been instilled in him from a very young age. The demon lord had mentioned once or twice in passing the state that Inuyasha was raised in—alone with a _human_ mother.

Suddenly, a few things became very clear to the small youkai.

One, Inuyasha had no grasp on his emotions because he didn't understand the reasoning behind them. For instance, even when his frank and forthright mouth was sputtering about leaving everyone to just die and fend for themselves (as was the situation now), it was really just his nature as a pack youkai to try to maintain order. He, of course, was completely botching the job in more ways than one.

Two, Inuyasha did not seem to notice that he treated the human girl, Kagome, any differently than he did the other girl, Sango. The scents he was giving off and the scents he most likely smelled only seemed to infuriate the hanyou out of ignorance. If Jaken was forced to at least acknowledge one good trait about the hanyou it would be this: he was very protective of his group. He had seen the way that, even as a human, Inuyasha had fought to the brink of death for her and the rest of them.

Third, Inuyasha was not living up to his potential as the son of the Great White Lord. But, there were occasions when a fierce look entered his eye and even Jaken was subdued by it. More than once his strength seemed to have left him completely but then come back two-fold. If his ignorance in battle and his arrogance as a warrior didn't constantly come back to haunt him, Jaken was sure he could have rivaled Sesshoumaru for the Western Domain. The Tetsusaiga had been left for him for two reasons. The first was to control his demon side, but the second was vaguer… and more important.

And in the end, Inuyasha had always been more important.

Even more so than Sesshoumaru.

That was it then; there was nothing more he could do other than to help the hanyou understand.

The feeling of benevolence that welled up in his chest was frightening. Would Sesshoumaru, the greatest master he had ever known, be angry for helping his halfling brother in his absence? Never before had he wanted to help someone so badly—not Rin, not Sesshoumaru. Even if he couldn't save the world, Inuyasha would at least be able to stand next to Sesshoumaru and be respected. There was some good, some dignity in the pup that, with the right grooming, would produce something great.

Not as great as Sesshoumaru, of course.

The weight of the world seemed to be now rested on his shoulders. He himself could do nothing to stop the future from happening… but in the conceited, mindless, clumsy, clueless hanyou and his overzealous pack there was some form of hope transforming on the horizon.

"Oi, bitch. It's final. We're staying right here."

"You'd rather put us in danger of other youkai and yourself instead of just yourself in a village? You're not making sense now." Sango sighed and rubbed her face tiredly.

Miroku, meanwhile, had sat down next to Kagome and was wondering why the situation had turned into a full-blow battle of the wills.

Jaken strolled over to the hanyou purposefully and whacked his staff at the joint of his knees as he had done to Kouga only days before. Inuyasha went tumbling down, a stream of curse words flying upward and catching the branches of the trees above.

"Listen up you no good, dull, lackadaisical hanyouand listen well. We will _not_ stay in the forest for another night. We _will _go to the next village and offer our services for a meal and a place to stay."

Inuyasha's head snapped around so quickly that Kagome feared for Jaken's life. Both the monk and the demon exterminator had obvious looks of amusement on their faces.

"Yeah, and why's _that_?"

Jaken brushed himself off, trying to mask the smugness in his voice, "Because, as I _tried_ to say before, that village will surely be the one that Sesshoumaru-sama and I left Rin at."

Kagome opened her mouth in delight, Inuyasha slammed his head back down into the dirt in obvious defeat, and Miroku smiled.

"I guess it's settled then." The monk turned to help Kagome to her feet.

It _was_ settled.

Jaken nodded, feeling the tightness and severity of the situation nearly squeeze the hope from his small body.

He would do everything in his power to make sure the hanyou lived… at least a little while longer.

* * *

It was the middle of the night before they finally reached Jaken's mystery village. Inuyasha had cussed him out the entire way and was forced to carry Kagome once she began to sway and was unable to walk in a straight path. She was passed out against his back in probably the first peaceful sleep she had had in a very long time.

His heart had raced the entire way—what if she woke up and the moon instilled that primal madness in him? Would he not be able to control himself like times prior? But just having her pressed up against him, feeling her strong heart beat through his heavy hatori… it was soothing, almost mind numbing effect. It made him wonder if he had completely missed the call of the moon because of it. It seemed later than usual.

"Thank goodness." Sango breathed as she spotted the torch lights of the village for herself, "I was afraid I was going to have to be carried too."

Inuyasha opened his mouth to make some haughty comment about being right (as per usual), but Miroku beat him to it.

He came up behind the demon exterminator and made as if he would swing her over his shoulder. Instead (as per usual), his hand dipped below her waistline and (as per usual) he found an enraged fist of fury in his face.

Kagome shifted slightly against him and yawned, "Are we there yet?"

"Not quite." Inuyasha replied quietly.

'_Go back to sleep,'_ he wanted to add, '_this might be your only chance for a long time.'_

Jaken strolled right past the group, looking around. He was now fairly certain that this was it. The demon recognized the surrounding forest at least; Sesshoumaru had carefully chosen this village because he believed it was the best sheltered from earth's catastrophes and the wicked youkai that often hung about them. No youkai had claimed the territory for his own because it belonged solely to the Demon Lord of the West. If any youkai had dared to trespass into it they would have been brutalized. Even just catching that last lingering scent of Sesshoumaru on Rin's clothing would have sent most of them into a sheer panic.

"I don't suppose anyone would be willing to house us for the night?" Shippou was rubbing his eyes, but tried to put on an alert front.

"It seems as though everyone has already gone to sleep…" Miroku glanced upward, trying to find something he could rescue them from.

Several sets of eyes turned to look at the hanyou, who seemed deep in thought. As the wind wafted by him, he could catch the faint smell of his brother; it made perfect sense to leave the little girl in a place so deep in the Western Domain. The woods would serve as a little sanctuary for the girl.

He snorted in mild amusement. So his brother _did_ have some small part of his heart that wasn't twisted, black, or rotting.

"I think I've caught her scent…" Inuyasha glanced back behind him, inspecting the group. By this point, it probably didn't matter if they rested with a roof over their heads or not—they just needed to _rest_.

Against, Kagome's lazy breathing and heartbeat seemed to make the correct decision for him. The hair on the back of his neck stood up with the whispery contact.

_'What the hell is the matter with me?'_

"We'll camp here for tonight and go into the village. I don't think they villagers would be happy to be woken up over some dumb human girl."

Kagome stirred restlessly behind him, as if trying to burrow her face closer against his back—to his heart.

* * *

Judging by how quickly Kagura had been finished off (how foolish, she had thought quietly to herself at the time, how foolish of a way to die), Kanna knew she would have to try a different tactic to carry out Naraku's orders.

She had distantly observed Kagura's wavering loyalty to their master for at least a few months, knowing that one day it would catch up to the wind youkai in a nightmarish way. Because, in reality, it was not the demon exterminator that had killed Kagura—it was Naraku himself.

Naraku, who had watched from his castle as she was torn apart…

Naraku, who could have brought her back before the killing blow…

_'Kagura, it was your own doing.'_

And as much as her life might have been devoid of any purpose other than servitude, Kanna was content with it. She would not be ripped to shreds. She would not be a victim—or, worse yet, a traitor.

Still.

It wasn't as though she had never experienced any desire to roam the country sides without a sinister presence lurking in all of her thoughts, or that she had no desire to control her own destiny—no, Kanna just saw the futility of it all. Patience in her line of work, after all, was rewarding in the end.

Because, in the end, once Naraku had ascended to a higher form of being, everyone would be under his influence and it would no longer matter. Country sides would be burnt to shriveling piles of decay and destinies would halt in the presence of such power.

Her stoic face betrayed only the slightest hint of her feelings—the slightest downturn of lips.

_'Kagura,'_ she thought again, preparing to leave, _'it was your own doing.'_

* * *

When dawn did come, a certain hanyou was very surprised to find a girl missing.

His eyes cracked open at the onslaught of a single ray of sunlight that had been pestering him. Out of sheer routine, he did a quick scan of the clearing from his perch on the tree:

Miroku and Sango (sleeping _a little close_ for friendship), Shippou sprawled out on his back, Jaken mumbling something in his sleep and then a dreamy sigh ("Seesssshoooummaarruuu-ssaammmaaa")…

Inuyasha leapt down so suddenly, he startled Miroku and Sango from their sleep.

"What's wrong?" Sango instantly asked, pushing herself away from the monk when she saw the look Inuyasha was giving her.

"Where's Kagome?" Miroku was shocked at how calm the hanyou was acting.

"She probably just went to wash herself, Inuyasha."

His right ear twitched in the direction of the village, as if sensing the familiar presence.

"Never mind, I found her." He huffed, pushing past the two towards the village path.

He made out the length of her dark hair first; she was crouched on the road, a deep look of contemplation on her face—what was she looking at?

"Inuyasha," she called, "come here for a minute."

The hanyou obediently complied, but not before grumbling softly, "Oi, wench, don't leave without letting me know first."

She looked up briefly, but in that instant he caught the small smile on her lips and the understanding in her eyes. It made him feel like he was transparent.

"I promise I won't." He truly believed it.

He knelt down next her, leaning his face close to the dirt for inspection: nothing but a broken bowl and a few grains of rice.

"It just looks like someone lost their meal. Don't tell me you can now sense who was about to eat a bowl of rice!" Inuyasha muttered, slightly annoyed.

Kagome gave him a strange look, "Uh, I was actually talking about the footprints right next to them…"

His right eye twitched slightly.

"Anyway," she cleared her throat as she stood up, "They look like they belong to a child… and they're heading out of the village…"

"You think the brat isn't in the village?"

Kagome nodded, "I don't think they accepted her quite like Sesshoumaru had intended…" There was an air of sadness around her now; the foot prints left implanted in the mud had screamed of hurt and solitude.

"Feh, you're just making a wild assumption." He stood and nodded his head back in the direction of the camp.

"Inuyasha," she whispered, as if forgetting his sensitive hearing, "You really don't know humans after all…"

A barrage of memories hit him—his mother, the cabin, the children, the blood…

**_I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!_**

**_It's all right, Inuyasha… Come here, it's all right…_**

He turned his back on her and walked back to the camp alone without saying another word.

'_Kagome,' _Inuyasha thought glancing towards the rising sun with passing sorrow and regret_, 'you really don't know me that well after all_.'

* * *

She knew she was caught.

Maybe she had been too sleepy to notice the creaking of the floorboard behind her, or maybe her stomach had growled loudly enough that the older woman had finally caught the now infamous "food thief."

"Why, I don't believe it! You're the child the youkai lord left here!"

The woman grabbed Rin's arms and lifted her up with ease (she had four children of her own only slightly older than the girl), "I hope you realize what you've done! Because of you my poor sons have had to cut their meals into smaller portions to share! When I told you to say away all those months ago…did you not think I _meant_ it!"

Rin wanted to apologize, she wanted to cry—but she was so hungry and tired she could scarcely walk.

It was beginning to hurt to even breathe.

The morning sunlight stabbed at her eyes as the irate woman dragged her out into the center of the village—as if she had no children of her own, as if she had no compassion left in her—and called immediately for the elder of the village.

"Thief! Thief!" She cried, "I've finally caught the filthy thief!"

In the midst of all this commotion, a group of traveling companions entered upon the scene. A kitsune and toad-like youkai rushed up to the woman and began frantically beating on her arms and legs to release the little girl.

"I think we found our thief." Kagome spoke wryly. Inuyasha glanced over at her briefly, wondering if he should reply.

The elder hobbled out, took one look at the situation on hand, and hobbled right back into the hut he had come out of.

And, for the briefest of moments, the entire village was silent.

Rin seemed to have awakened from her stupor and tears finally did begin to fill her eyes, "Jaken-sama!" She called weakly, though her heart was beyond elated, "You came back!"

The little youkai puffed up his chest, giving the once again angry woman another hit on the shins.

Kagome's mouth was moving before she could even form a thought.

"Rin-chan! There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you! I've missed my little sister so very much!" The brightest, albeit fakest, smile crossed her face. Inuyasha stared at her, completely dumbfounded.

Even Rin looked confused, although she clearly recognized the group.

The attention of the entire village was on her now, "You silly thing, wandering away while we were traveling… you're so lucky that the demon lord found you and brought you here!" She gave a lethal stare to the woman who had ceased her ranting and grip on the little girl, "as a little lost girl, I'm _sure_ they showed you _hospitality_ and _kindness_."

"She is making this up… right" Shippou whispered as he jumped.

"…stranger things have happened…" Miroku mumbled, moving to aid the story. Inuyasha finally saw the situation for what it was: an avoidance of conflict beyond a verbal battle.

The woman finally spoke, "What kind of sister are you? Leaving your sibling alone to rely on the kindness of strangers! I realize now that the guilty one isn't the little girl, it's _you_, the one irresponsible and feeble enough to let this happen!"

Kagome took a step back as if she had been physically struck. Her bottom lip began to tremble slightly, but she forced the tears to keep at bay.

_What kind of sister are you?_

'_Souta__…'_ Her hands clenched at her sides.

None of this escaped the hanyou.

"Listen bitch, we just came for the little girl. So hand her over and you can feed your little brats until they're fat and happy."

"Hah! And what right do you have to say _anything_, you're not even _human!_"

Inuyasha's eyes narrowed dangerously, "Yeah, well," a hand rested over the hilt of his sword, "by letting an innocent child starve, you're not so human yourself, you old hag! In fact, you're more of a beast than I'll ever be!"

Miroku chose that moment to walk between the two, holding his hands up to calm them down. Sango was right behind him, holding out her hand to the little girl.

"Come on, Rin-chan, we'll go hunt for some food and see if we can find that guardian of yours…" Her smile was overflowing with kindness and sincerity. Rin reached out her own small hand, as if mesmerized by the promise it held.

The group turned to head back into the forest, but not before Inuyasha shot the woman one last scathing glare.

"Trash will always be trash!" She called after them, as if it was an afterthought and she wanted the final word.

Inuyasha placed a hand on the small of Kagome's back pushing her forward, but didn't turn around as he spoke to the woman. He waved a hand dismissively behind him.

"Yeah, and you'll always be an old, ugly hag… so what's the difference?"

Once they were out of the line of sight of the village, and the screams of the woman had vanished, Kagome slowed her pace to match Inuyasha's. Quietly, as if finally knowing her earlier mistake, as if acquiescing to the tragedy of every day, as if acknowledging the inevitability of life and death, she slipped her small hand into his and gave it a gentle squeeze.

He closed his fingers tightly around hers, drawing their hands closer to his body.

"You're fine, Kagome." He told her quietly, "You're going to be fine."

Because, they knew, at the end of everything, it was impossible for anyone to judge the worth of a human life.

* * *

"Aaaaaaahhhh!" The little girl flopped back in contentment.

"If you had eaten any more you would have made yourself sick, you stupid girl!" Jaken snapped, sitting down next to her. It was clear to everyone how even he experienced some remote joy in being near the young girl, if only for the familiarity of it.

"So you stole food to feed yourself?" Kagome asked, running her fingers through her hair to free them from their braided confinements.

The little girl nodded slowly, "No one wanted to… help me." Sitting up she asked quickly, "Are we going to find Sesshoumaru-sama now!"

Kagome laughed, watching as Inuyasha's face scrunched up in annoyance, "No, runt, we're staying here for the night."

"But it's not even dark yet! Please can we go?" The girl protested, eyes widening in an innocently pleading manner.

"Do you talk this way to Sesshoumaru?" Inuyasha raised a brow, now more amused than irritated.

Rin nodded slowly, wondering why the hanyou was laughing maniacally.

"The Great Sesshoumaru-sama… has… become more… susceptible… to the desires of little girls." Jaken explained with a hint of remorse in his voice.

Sango eventually came into the conversation, changing the topic completely and taking the little girl's mind off her the demon lord for at least a little while.

A deep frown suddenly creased the young reincarnated priestess' face, and her senses immediately came alive. There was a presence out in the woods that hadn't been there… but just as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone. She filed it away into the back of her mind; it's likely it was some random youkai who, after catching the lingering scent of Sesshoumaru, fled immediately.

Her focus immediately came back to the topic at hand.

"… It's sort of sad, but amusing at the same time I guess. We're just a pack of orphans." Sango's words sunk deep into the atmosphere and Kagome's heart immediately began to clench, "Well, all of us except Kagome…"

Inuyasha opened his mouth to say something, anything, but he knew it was too late.

Kagome stood abruptly, brushing herself off, "I think I'm going to go wash myself off in the river we passed…" There was a sliver of hope left in her that her shaking voice hadn't given her away. The last thing she needed was more pity.

She turned and held her hand out to Rin, "Would you like to come? I be you haven't had a bath in a while… I'll even braid your hair?" Her resolve was crumbling even as she held out her hand.

Rin nodded; she felt safe around this girl.

It wasn't until the two had disappeared from sight did the question finally surface.

"Inuyasha, what is going _on_…?"

* * *

Kagome had just finished dressing herself and helping Rin into a new kimono when she felt it again. This time, however, it's presence was purely physical and it seemed to loom around the entire river. It was darkness, pure, evil, darkness.

It was a sinking, terrifying feeling. Her head flew wildly from side to side, searching for its source. All the hairs on her body seemed to stand straight up, but her voice was caught in her throat. Once again, she had placed an innocent child in a deadly situation.

She didn't need two guesses to figure out who had been stalking them.

Rin looked worried, but was more interested in knowing when Kagome was going to braid her hair, "What's the matter?"

"We need to go back to camp… _right now_." She gripped the little girl's hand in her own, but decided to just carry her as she ran.

"INU!" A hand seemingly reached out of the darkness itself, silencing her and pulling her back into it. Kagome tried to free Rin from her embrace, but the little girl refused to let go. More arms of the black cloud raced out to crush her into it. It was a sticky, almost oppressive humid air.

"No! NOOO! STOP IT!" Rin was screaming, trying to pull Kagome back.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw the white haired youkai, clutching her ball directly out in front of her. Kanna didn't need to say a word for Kagome to know just how truly damned she was—no, the malevolent gleam of her eyes spoke volumes of hatred and disgust.

"Rin, you have to break free!" She gasped for breath as the darkness seemed to tighten around her windpipe, "Try!"

"I can't!" The little girl cried piteously, though she tried struggling as much as her weak little body would let her.

"_Kagome!_"

Her heart leapt in her chest, but being so tangled in the dark web as she was, she knew there was only one thing left to do, "Don't come any closer, Inuyasha!"

"Shut up and!"

"No! Just go! _Please,_ just!"

The cloud began its ascent, climbing higher into the darkening sky, almost merging with it.

The hanyou, so blinded by rage and hurt sprung to the highest tree to make one last effort to catch her and Rin before they were completely gone.

He stretched, reaching up as high as he possible could with his arm.

'_Please, please, please! God damn it!_' his mind was screaming.

But all he could manage was a swift brush of fingers, a choked sob, and a rapid descent.

He was acutely aware of hitting the rocky bank of the river below, his body stumbling and rolling until he was embraced with the cold waters of the river itself. Even then he couldn't move; he frozen with pain, fear, and hatred.

"You… promised… Kagome, you… _promised_ you… wouldn't…"

And when the darkness lifted away, there was only a setting sun and brilliantly colored sky left to greet him.

"Damn it…" He growled, the pain in his abdomen and back nearly unbearable.

"_DAMN IT!_"

* * *

And so ends our little adventure…

For now! Wahahahahaha.

I AM really sorry about taking so long to update. The truth of the matter is that I've had the first 18 or so pages of this written out since this past summer, but I wasn't inspired to finish the chapter until tonight. So I wrote the next ten pages in one sitting. Tah dah!

So, let me know what you think?

What will happen to Rin and Kagome? Where were Miroku and Sango when this happened? …Will Inuyasha ever get out of that river!

© Ophe 2005 3


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